freeman

freeman — noun

1. a person who is officially given the special rights and privileges of a city as

1.名詞B2
釋義

a person who is officially given the special rights and privileges of a city as a public honour, usually for their achievements or long service to the community

例句

Arjun was made a freeman of the city after fifty years of teaching at the local university.

made a freeman of [city]

The title of freeman is one of the highest honours that Edinburgh can give.

同義詞
  • honorary citizen

    more widely used outside the UK; less tied to historical city-charter traditions

用法筆記

Most often used with of + city name (e.g. freeman of the City of London). Some cities confer the similar title 'Honorary Freeman' in a formal ceremony.

常見錯誤

❌He became a freeman of the company.
✅He became a freeman of the city of Cardiff.
💡freeman applies to cities or incorporated towns, not companies or organisations.

2. in historical or legal contexts, someone with personal liberty — not owned by an

2.名詞B2
釋義

in historical or legal contexts, someone with personal liberty — not owned by another and not bound to work on a fixed estate

例句

In medieval England, a freeman could buy and sell land without a lord's permission.

historical: legal rights of a freeman

Unlike a slave, a freeman could marry, own property, and make legal agreements.

同義詞
  • free person

    modern and more general; lacks the historical-legal weight of freeman

反義詞
  • slave

    someone who is legally owned by another person

  • serf

    a worker bound to a lord's land in feudal systems

用法筆記

Primarily used in historical or legal discussions about pre-modern social systems. In modern contexts, 'free person' is more common.

常見錯誤

❌In a democracy every citizen is a freeman.
✅In a democracy every citizen is a free person.
💡freeman is a historical legal term, not a synonym for any free individual today.