freedman

noun

freed·​man ˈfrēd-mən How to pronounce freedman (audio)
-ˌman
: a person freed from slavery

Examples of freedman in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web As a freedman, Price went on to become a successful business owner and provided the land for the First African Methodist Episcopal Church, the first Black church in Anne Arundel County, according to the Baltimore Sun. Joe Heim, Washington Post, 24 Dec. 2023 Among the two hundred spectators, a quarter were Black freedmen. Jill Lepore, The New Yorker, 4 Dec. 2023 Related:The work to remember Little Egypt, a Dallas freedman’s town flattened 6 decades ago To fix these issues locally, Sanders was on a mayoral task force designed to identify gaps in Black/white education and opportunity in Fort Worth and set plans to address them. Tyler Davis, Dallas News, 19 June 2023 Douglass demanded that the Union Army provide food and shelter for the Black freedmen. Deneen L. Brown, Washington Post, 1 July 2023 Many were freedmen or even slaves, which may account for their low social standing. Franz Lidz, New York Times, 13 June 2023 But after freedmen had deposited more than $3 million in the bank, the bank began lending the money to White businessmen who couldn’t repay their loans. Courtland Milloy, Washington Post, 13 June 2023 In those cases, Grills said, the freedman’s agency would be responsible for helping those who cannot establish lineage. Curtis Bunn, NBC News, 13 June 2023 The freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages. Jessica B. Harris, Southern Living, 7 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'freedman.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1587, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of freedman was in 1587

Dictionary Entries Near freedman

Cite this Entry

“Freedman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/freedman. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

freedman

noun
freed·​man ˈfrēd-mən How to pronounce freedman (audio)
-ˌman
: a person freed from slavery

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