freewheeling

adjective

free·​wheel·​ing ˌfrē-ˈ(h)wē-liŋ 

: free and loose in form or manner: such as

a

: heedless of social norms or niceties

the raider style of his freewheeling father

—Garry Wills

b

: not repressed or restrained

freewheeling promiscuity

a freewheeling competitive spirit

c

: not bound by formal rules, procedures, or guidelines

a freewheeling investigation

d

: loose and undisciplined : not defensive

a freewheeling style of hockey

freewheelingly adverb

Synonyms

• footloose

Examples of freewheeling in a Sentence

She led a freewheeling life in the city.

James Bond has long been the model of the freewheeling hero who encounters danger and excitement in every corner of the globe.

Recent Examples on the Web

Now, China is putting its freewheeling facial recognition industry on notice. —Washington Post, 30 July 2021

Incongruity isn’t seen as a blemish, and the lyrics tend to be more freewheeling and braggadocious. —Sheldon Pearc, The New Yorker, 30 June 2021

Made for Love, which is certainly not quite like any other book on earth, is more freewheeling, dense with references—an experiment whose outcome is as vivid and as startling as a chip stuck in the brain. —Philippa Snow, The New Republic, 8 Apr. 2021

Perhaps because of the controversy, Trump has maintained an uncharacteristically low profile, avoiding the sort of freewheeling interactions with journalists that have defined his time in office. —Rob Crilly, Washington Examiner, 10 June 2020

Word History

First Known Use

1931, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

freewheeling

adjective

free·​wheel·​ing -ˈhwē(ə)l-iŋ 

-ˈwē(ə)l-iŋ

: free and loose in form or manner

especially : not held back by rules, duties, or worries

led a freewheeling life in the city