Free vs. Less — What's the Difference?

Able to act or be done as one wishes; not under the control of another

Not as great in amount or quantity

Not or no longer confined or imprisoned

Lower in importance, esteem, or rank

Not subject to engagements or obligations

Consisting of a smaller number.

Not subject to or affected by (something undesirable)

With the deduction of; minus

Given or available without charge

To a smaller extent, degree, or frequency

Using or expending something without restraint; lavish

A smaller amount

(of literature or music) not observing the normal conventions of style or form.

Something not as important as something else

(of the wind) blowing from a favourable direction to the side or aft of a vessel.

Comparative of little

Without cost or payment

Used for constructing syntactic diminutive comparatives of adjectives and adverbs.

With the sheets eased

To a smaller extent or degree.

Release from confinement or slavery

(Now chiefly of numbers or dimensions) little; of inferior size, degree or extent; smaller, lesser.

Remove something undesirable or restrictive from

A smaller amount of; not as much.

Make available for a particular purpose

Fewer; a smaller number of.

Not imprisoned or confined

Minus; not including

Not controlled by obligation or the will of another

(archaic) To make less; to lessen.

Not controlled by another country or political power; independent

(archaic) Lesser; smaller.

Governed by consent and possessing or granting civil liberties

A smaller amount or quantity.

Not subject to arbitrary interference by a government

Unless

Not enslaved.

Unless.

Not affected or restricted by a given condition or circumstance

Smaller; not so large or great; not so much; shorter; inferior; as, a less quantity or number; a horse of less size or value; in less time than before.

Not subject to a given condition; exempt

Not so much; in a smaller or lower degree; as, less bright or loud; less beautiful.

Not bound by convention or the rules of form

A smaller portion or quantity.

Not literal or exact

The inferior, younger, or smaller.

Costing nothing; gratuitous

To make less; to lessen.

Publicly supported

(comparative of `little' usually used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning not as great in amount or degree;

Unobstructed; clear

(usually preceded by `no') lower in quality;

Not occupied or used

(usually preceded by `no') lower in esteem;

Not taken up by scheduled activities

(nonstandard in some uses but often idiomatic with measure phrases) fewer;

Immoderate in giving or spending; liberal or lavish

Used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs;

Frank or unguarded in expression or manner; open or outspoken

Comparative of little;

Given, made, or done of one's own accord; voluntary or spontaneous

Unconstrained; unconfined

Not fixed in position; capable of relatively unrestricted motion

Not chemically bound in a molecule

Involving no collisions or interactions

Empty or unoccupied

(Nautical) Favorable

Not bound, fastened, or attached

Being a form, especially a morpheme, that can stand as an independent word, such as boat or bring.

Being a vowel in an open syllable, as the o in go.

In a free manner; without restraint.

Without charge.

To make free, as from confinement or oppression

To relieve of a burden, obligation, or restraint

To remove obstructions or entanglements from; clear

To make available

Freestyle.

(social) Unconstrained.

Not imprisoned or enslaved.

Unconstrained by timidity or distrust

Generous; liberal.

(obsolete) Clear of offence or crime; guiltless; innocent.

Without obligations.

Thrown open, or made accessible, to all; to be enjoyed without limitations; unrestricted; not obstructed, engrossed, or appropriated; open; said of a thing to be possessed or enjoyed.

Not arbitrary or despotic; assuring liberty; defending individual rights against encroachment by any person or class; instituted by a free people; said of a government, institutions, etc.

(software) With no or only freedom-preserving limitations on distribution or modification.

(software) Intended for release, as opposed to a checked version.

Obtainable without any payment.

Complimentary

(abstract) Unconstrained.

(mathematics) Unconstrained by relators.

Unconstrained by quantifiers.

(programming) Unconstrained of identifiers, not bound.

(linguistics) of a morpheme That can be used by itself, unattached to another morpheme.

(physical) Unconstrained.

Unobstructed, without blockages.

Unattached or uncombined.

Not currently in use; not taken; unoccupied.

Not attached; loose.

(military) Of a rocket or missile: not under the control of a guidance system after being launched.

Without; not containing (what is specified); exempt; clear; liberated.

(dated) Ready; eager; acting without spurring or whipping; spirited.

(dated) Invested with a particular freedom or franchise; enjoying certain immunities or privileges; admitted to special rights; followed by of.

Certain or honourable; the opposite of base.

(legal) Privileged or individual; the opposite of common.

Without needing to pay.

(obsolete) Freely; willingly.

(transitive) To make free; set at liberty; release.

(transitive) To rid of something that confines or oppresses.

To relinquish (previously allocated memory) to the system.

Abbreviation of free kick

(association football) A free transfer.

(hurling) The usual means of restarting play after a foul is committed, where the non-offending team restarts from where the foul was committed.

Abbreviation of freestyle

Exempt from subjection to the will of others; not under restraint, control, or compulsion; able to follow one's own impulses, desires, or inclinations; determining one's own course of action; not dependent; at liberty.

Not under an arbitrary or despotic government; subject only to fixed laws regularly and fairly administered, and defended by them from encroachments upon natural or acquired rights; enjoying political liberty.

Liberated, by arriving at a certain age, from the control of parents, guardian, or master.

Not confined or imprisoned; released from arrest; liberated; at liberty to go.

Not subjected to the laws of physical necessity; capable of voluntary activity; endowed with moral liberty; - said of the will.

Clear of offense or crime; guiltless; innocent.

Unconstrained by timidity or distrust; unreserved; ingenuous; frank; familiar; communicative.

Unrestrained; immoderate; lavish; licentious; - used in a bad sense.

Not close or parsimonious; liberal; open-handed; lavish; as, free with his money.

Exempt; clear; released; liberated; not encumbered or troubled with; as, free from pain; free from a burden; - followed by from, or, rarely, by of.

Characteristic of one acting without restraint; charming; easy.

Ready; eager; acting without spurring or whipping; spirited; as, a free horse.

Invested with a particular freedom or franchise; enjoying certain immunities or privileges; admitted to special rights; - followed by of.

Thrown open, or made accessible, to all; to be enjoyed without limitations; unrestricted; not obstructed, engrossed, or appropriated; open; - said of a thing to be possessed or enjoyed; as, a free school.

Not gained by importunity or purchase; gratuitous; spontaneous; as, free admission; a free gift.

Not arbitrary or despotic; assuring liberty; defending individual rights against encroachment by any person or class; instituted by a free people; - said of a government, institutions, etc.

Certain or honorable; the opposite of base; as, free service; free socage.

Privileged or individual; the opposite of common; as, a free fishery; a free warren.

Not united or combined with anything else; separated; dissevered; unattached; at liberty to escape; as, free carbonic acid gas; free cells.

Freely; willingly.

Without charge; as, children admitted free.

To make free; to set at liberty; to rid of that which confines, limits, embarrasses, oppresses, etc.; to release; to disengage; to clear; - followed by from, and sometimes by off; as, to free a captive or a slave; to be freed of these inconveniences.

To remove, as something that confines or bars; to relieve from the constraint of.

To frank.

People who are free;

Grant freedom to; free from confinement

Relieve from;

Remove or force out from a position;

Grant relief or an exemption from a rule or requirement to;

Make (information) available publication;

Free from obligations or duties

Free or remove obstruction from;

Let off the hook;

Part with a possession or right;

Make (assets) available;

Able to act at will; not hampered; not under compulsion or restraint;

Unconstrained or not chemically bound in a molecule or not fixed and capable of relatively unrestricted motion;

Costing nothing;

Not occupied or in use;

Not fixed in position;

Not held in servitude;

Not taken up by scheduled activities;

Not literal;

Without restraint;