Freemen: meaning, definitions and examples
🗽
freemen
[ ˈfriːmən ]
social status
Freemen are individuals who are not slaves and possess the full legal rights of citizenship. In historical contexts, this term was commonly used to refer to individuals who had been granted freedom from servitude or indentured labor and had the rights to own property and make legal contracts.
Synonyms
citizen, liberated, unrestricted
Examples of usage
- The freemen in the village organized a meeting to discuss their rights.
- In medieval times, many towns had a council of freemen.
- Freemen could vote in local elections, unlike those who were still bound by servitude.
Translations
Translations of the word "freemen" in other languages:
🇵🇹 homens livres
🇮🇳 स्वतंत्र पुरुष
🇩🇪 Freie Männer
🇮🇩 pria bebas
🇺🇦 вільні люди
🇵🇱 wolni ludzie
🇯🇵 自由な人々
🇫🇷 hommes libres
🇪🇸 hombres libres
🇹🇷 özgür adamlar
🇰🇷 자유로운 남성들
🇸🇦 أحرار
🇨🇿 svobodní muži
🇸🇰 slobodní muži
🇨🇳 自由人
🇸🇮 svobodni moški
🇮🇸 frjálsir menn
🇰🇿 бос ер адамдар
🇬🇪 თავისუფალი მამაკაცები
🇦🇿 azad kişilər
🇲🇽 hombres libres
Etymology
The word 'freeman' originates from the Old English term 'freoman', which means 'a man who is free'. The concept of a freeman developed during the medieval period, distinguishing individuals with legal rights from those who were serfs or bonded laborers. In many medieval European societies, becoming a freeman often involved meeting certain criteria, such as residing in a town for a specified period, paying a fee, or being granted freedom by a lord. This status often allowed individuals to participate in trade, own property, and engage in local governance, marking a significant shift in social structure towards greater individual rights. Over time, the meaning of freeman expanded to encompass broader notions of freedom and privilege, particularly in the context of citizenship and human rights.