Free State

noun

: a state of the U.S. in which slavery was prohibited before the Civil War

Word History

First Known Use

1819, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Free State was in 1819

Dictionary Entries Near Free State

freestanding

Free State

free-state man

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Cite this Entry

“Free State.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Free%20State. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

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Geographical Definition

Free State

geographical name

variants or Vrystaat
ˈfrā-ˌstät How to pronounce Free State (audio)
ˈfrī-
 or formerly Orange Free State
ˈȯr-inj How to pronounce Free State (audio)
ˈär-,
-ənj
province of the east central part of the Republic of South Africa between the Orange and Vaal rivers and bordering Lesotho area 49,992 square miles (129,480 square kilometers), population 2,745,590

More from Merriam-Webster on Free State

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Free State

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