Dictionary

freedumb en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈfɹiː.dəm/
• /ˈfɹiː.dʌm/

Etymology

Blend of freedom + dumb. First use appears c. 1856 as free-dumb.

Meanings

1. (US, derogatory, slang, uncountable) Stupidity masquerading as love of freedom; an assertion of one's personal liberty which is perceived to be unreasonable or motivated by stupidity.
   • My first day of terrifying, amazing freedumb flew by in a stupor. 2016, Lucy Woodhull, 667 Ways to F*ck Up My Life:
   • Liberty is great. Even a man that can’t talk, loves his freedumb. 1918 November 11, C. Green, “Wavelets from the Deep”, in M. F. Hetherington, editor, The Lakeland Evening Telegram, number 9, Lakeland, Fla., page [4], column 2:
   • But whoever claims vociferously and advocates 100% freedom within themselves know that it is not so and is only 100% 'FREEDUMB' 1980, Institute of Traditional Cultures, Bulletin, page 83:
   • The freedom for free speech is rapidly becoming freedumb on all four feet. 2000, Norma E. Leary, For God's Sake, page 59:
   • ... Doob, following Pound's script, gives it as 'Freedumb Forum'. 1992, Jacqueline Kaye, Ezra Pound and America, page 27:
   • But justice takes a stand / And releases us from the turmoil, / Freedumb rings from the hand / But not from the soil 2010, Maxine Y. Anderson, My Heart Aches So My Mind Bleeds - A Collection of Poetry, page 61:
   • The Mythos Trinity - free-market capitalism, Judaeo-Christianity, and freedumb and dumbocracy - is a ferociously difficult system to overthrow because it appeals so powerfully to so many people. 2018, Joe Dixon, The Intelligence Wars: Logos Versus Mythos:
   • We hear the cry freedom, freedom, on every side, but it seems some men spell it freedumb. 1964, Pennsylvania Home Rule Association (contributor), Pennsylvania Road Builder - Volumes 37-38, page 5:
   • ... all but the local hill-habitators who are all out and bigod they won't have any more cow if they ain't got freedumb to leave tubercles in the milk. 1971, Ezra Pound, The Selected Letters of Ezra Pound, 1907-1941, page 265:
   • Otherwise they retain their freedom or independence at the expense of being unable to express their ideas in an ordered manner. "Freedumb" versus Freedom! 1946, The University of Michigan (publisher), Rubber Journal - Volumes 110-111, page 129:
   • But freedumb also tells us that we can do whatever we like, because we're free to ignore those who think they know better. 2011, Laura Penny, More Money Than Brains: Why School Sucks, College is Crap, & Idiots Think They're Right:
   • He lookt rather strocked, an he says: “Aint a man goin to hav no freedumb of speech?” I told him, “Of course, you’ll hav all the freedumb of speech you want—but you came up here from Connettycut an got a clerkship becaus you couldn’t get inter office at home, an you didn’t want ter bone down ter hard work.[…]” 1866 March 18, Tranquill [pseudonym], “Keep Cool! Keep Cool! Keep Cool!”, in S[imon] P[arker] Hanscom, editor, Daily National Republican, volume VI, number 90, Washington, D.C.: W[illiam] J. Murtagh & Co., front page, column 4:
   • Freedom or freedumb? Which do you choose? 2020, Mia Miata, The Goddess Code - Goddess in Womanifestation:

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