WRAL: Don't Waste Your Money: Free IPhones come with a hidden cost Many major phone carriers are offering free iPhones when you open a new phone line or upgrade an existing phone. Consumer Reporter John Matarese investigated how carriers are able to give away a phone ... In the context such as "free press", it means libre from censorship, "gluten-free" means libre from gluten and so on.

Understanding the Context

Then there is "free stuff", why is the same word used? I don't think there's any difference in meaning, although "free of charges" is much less common than "free of charge". Regarding your second question about context: given that English normally likes to adopt the shortest phrasing possible, the longer form "free of charge" can be used as a means of drawing attention to the lack of demand for ... What is the opposite of free as in "free of charge" (when we speak about prices)?

Key Insights

We can add not for negation, but I am looking for a single word. Similarly, “free education” is funded by the state (which is ultimately financed by taxpayers) and taught in state-run schools called state schools whereas schools that charge tuition fees are termed private schools. A private school in the US typically means fee-taking. Confusingly, in the UK, they are known as public schools. single word requests - The opposite of "free" in phrases - English ...

Final Thoughts

If so, my analysis amounts to a rule in search of actual usage—a prescription rather than a description. In any event, the impressive rise of "free of" against "free from" over the past 100 years suggests that the English-speaking world has become more receptive to using "free of" in place of "free from" during that period.