free press

IPA/ˌfriː ˈpres/
IPA/ˌfriː ˈpres/

free press — noun

1. The freedom of news organisations to investigate, report, and comment on events

1.nounB2
Definition

The freedom of news organisations to investigate, report, and comment on events without government censorship or control.

Example

Yumi became a journalist because she believes deeply in a free press.

Dario's documentary on corruption was broadcast because the country has a free press.

passive + causal: was broadcast because the country has a free press

Common collocations
  • defend the free press
  • undermine the free press
  • a free press is essential
  • threaten the free press
Synonyms
  • independent media

    emphasises ownership and editorial independence rather than legal protection from censorship

  • uncensored press

    stresses the absence of censorship, but is less common and more technical

Antonyms
  • state-controlled media

    describes outlets owned or directed by the government, the direct opposite of a free press

Usage Note

Usually used with the definite article ('the free press') or the indefinite article ('a free press'), not as a bare plural.

Common Mistakes

China does not have freedom of press.
China does not have a free press.
'free press' is the natural collocation; 'freedom of press' sounds incomplete without 'the': 'freedom of the press.'

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A free press refers to the actual system of news organisations operating without government censorship. 'Freedom of the press' is the abstract legal right or principle that protects this system — you defend freedom of the press as a concept, but you rely on a free press for daily news. 'Independent media' overlaps but emphasises ownership: a news outlet can be independently owned yet still face censorship, so independent media is not always a free press. 'Open press' is a broader, less common term that suggests general accessibility and transparency rather than specifically the absence of government control. In everyday use, 'a free press' is the most natural way to refer to uncensored journalism as a working institution.

independent mediafreedom of the press ↗open press

Common collocations

Nouns

  • defender of a free press
  • threat to a free press
  • pillar of a free press

Adverbs

  • genuinely free press
  • truly free press

Phrases

  • a free press is essential
  • the right to a free press
  • in a free press

Etymology

Old EnglishLatinFrenchEnglish

The term combines 'free' (from Old English frēo, meaning not in bondage or unrestricted) with 'press' (from Latin pressāre, referring to the printing press). The phrase 'free press' emerged in 18th-century England during debates over licensing laws that required government approval before printing. It became a central Enlightenment ideal, championed by figures like John Milton and later enshrined in the First Amendment to the US Constitution.