freethinker

noun

free·​think·​er ˈfrē-ˈthiŋ-kər How to pronounce freethinker (audio)
: a person who thinks freely or independently : one who forms opinions on the basis of reason independently of authority
especially : one who rejects or is skeptical of religious dogma
freethinking noun or adjective

Examples of freethinker in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
By this time, however, even in cases where freethinkers were convicted of blasphemy, judges appeared to offer leniency. Kristina M. Lee, The Conversation, 18 Oct. 2024 The boys, including brilliant freethinker Melchior (Marshall) and his deaf friend Moritz (Joseph Saraceni), suffer through rote Latin learning with little room for creative thought. Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 2 Mar. 2024 As a freethinker who had run afoul of both Judaism and Christianity, Spinoza knew that bigotry and fanaticism weren’t just imposed on the people; they were also imposed by the people. Adam Kirsch, The New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2024 In the ninth century, the irreverent freethinker Ibn al-Rawandi used the fertile intellectual climate of the Abbasid caliphate to question prophecy and holy books. Jacob McHangama, Foreign Affairs, 9 Feb. 2022 See all Example Sentences for freethinker 

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1700, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of freethinker was circa 1700

Dictionary Entries Near freethinker

Cite this Entry

“Freethinker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/freethinker. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on freethinker

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!