What does freedom of speech mean?

Definitions for freedom of speech
free·dom of speech

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word freedom of speech.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. freedom of speechnoun

    a civil right guaranteed by the First Amendment to the US Constitution

Wiktionary

  1. freedom of speechnoun

    The right of citizens to speak, or otherwise communicate, without fear of harm or prosecution.

Wikipedia

  1. Freedom of speech

    Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The right to freedom of expression has been recognised as a human right in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and international human rights law by the United Nations. Many countries have constitutional law that protects free speech. Terms like free speech, freedom of speech, and freedom of expression are used interchangeably in political discourse. However, in a legal sense, the freedom of expression includes any activity of seeking, receiving, and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used. Article 19 of the UDHR states that "everyone shall have the right to hold opinions without interference" and "everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice". The version of Article 19 in the ICCPR later amends this by stating that the exercise of these rights carries "special duties and responsibilities" and may "therefore be subject to certain restrictions" when necessary "[f]or respect of the rights or reputation of others" or "[f]or the protection of national security or of public order (order public), or of public health or morals".Freedom of speech and expression, therefore, may not be recognized as being absolute, and common limitations or boundaries to freedom of speech relate to libel, slander, obscenity, pornography, sedition, incitement, fighting words, hate speech, classified information, copyright violation, trade secrets, food labeling, non-disclosure agreements, the right to privacy, dignity, the right to be forgotten, public security, and perjury. Justifications for such include the harm principle, proposed by John Stuart Mill in On Liberty, which suggests that "the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others".The idea of the "offense principle" is also used to justify speech limitations, describing the restriction on forms of expression deemed offensive to society, considering factors such as extent, duration, motives of the speaker, and ease with which it could be avoided. With the evolution of the digital age, application of freedom of speech becomes more controversial as new means of communication and restrictions arise, for example, the Golden Shield Project, an initiative by Chinese government's Ministry of Public Security that filters potentially unfavourable data from foreign countries. The Human Rights Measurement Initiative measures the right to opinion and expression for countries around the world, using a survey of in-country human rights experts.

ChatGPT

  1. freedom of speech

    Freedom of speech is a fundamental right protected by many constitutions and human rights laws. It refers to the entitlement of an individual or a community to express their opinions, ideas, and information freely, without censorship, restriction, or legal penalties, as long as it does not infringe on the rights of others. This involves various forms of communication, including speech, writing, art, music, or any other medium of expression. However, it also carries responsibilities and may be subjected to certain limitations such as defamation, hate speech, or national security considerations.

Wikidata

  1. Freedom of speech

    Freedom of speech is the political right to communicate one's opinions and ideas using one's body and property to anyone who is willing to receive them. The term freedom of expression is sometimes used synonymously, but includes any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used. In practice, the right to freedom of speech is not absolute in any country and the right is commonly subject to limitations, as with libel, slander, obscenity, sedition, copyright violation, revelation of information that is classified or otherwise. The right to freedom of expression is recognized as a human right under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and recognized in international human rights law in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Article 19 of the ICCPR states that "[e]veryone shall have the right to hold opinions without interference" and "everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice". Article 19 goes on to say that the exercise of these rights carries "special duties and responsibilities" and may "therefore be subject to certain restrictions" when necessary "[f]or respect of the rights or reputation of others" or "[f]or the protection of national security or of public order, or of public health or morals".

Editors Contribution

  1. freedom of speech

    The right to publicly communicate our feelings, opinions and ideas respectfully and responsibly in line with just, fair and ethical human rights legislation and the universal declaration of human rights.

    Freedom of speech is valued and respected by all members of humanity.


    Submitted by MaryC on January 19, 2015  

Suggested Resources

  1. freedom of speech

    Read the full text of the Freedom Of Speech poem by Trim on the Poetry.com website.

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Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of freedom of speech in Chaldean Numerology is: 7

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of freedom of speech in Pythagorean Numerology is: 8

Examples of freedom of speech in a Sentence

  1. Bob Woodson:

    People who advocate critical race theory and 1619 have been at the forefront of cancel culture, it’s ironic that Nicole Hannah-Jones would be honored for freedom of speech.

  2. Phillipe Cunningham:

    Minnesota National Guard has been activated in the area as part of Operation Safety Net, a joint effort between the Minneapolis Police Department, Hennepin County Sheriff's Office, the State of Minnesota and local jurisdictions in order to protect people, freedom of speech and property during the Derek Chauvin trial and aftermath of the police involved shooting of Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Center during a traffic stop. MINNESOTA MAN WHO FLED WITH OFFICER CLINGING TO TRUCK AFTER ALLEGED MASK-RELATED ASSAULT FACES FELONY CHARGES In the wake of Wright's death, the Minneapolis City Council voted unanimously on Friday for the development of a new Traffic Safety Division. Councilmember Phillipe Cunningham outlineda staff directive regarding the proposed developmentin a document obtained by KMSP, the Fox-owned TV station in Minneapolisand posted on Phillipe Cunningham social media account. The document listed four goals of the new traffic enforcement division : Maximizing the traffic safety benefits of traffic enforcement, eliminating racial disparities in traffic enforcement, educating the public on safe driving behaviors and traffic laws, and earning the trust of communities harmed by earlier practices. We urgently need traffic safety in our community, we also need for increasing traffic safety to not come at a great cost of harm to our neighbors in the process. This issue is very complex, but it is surmountable.

  3. Gavin Newsom:

    I urge all of you living in Florida to join the fight -- or join us in California, where we still believe in freedom : Freedom of speech, freedom to choose, freedom from hate, and the freedom to love, don't let them take your freedom.

  4. Arsene Wenger:

    I don't think the situation is definite, that can change very quickly, and although I don't know the situation well overall, Ozil made a comment and after, when you make a comment about your individual opinion, you accept the consequences of it, first of all Mesut Ozil has freedom of speech like everyone else and he uses his notoriety to express his opinions, what is not necessarily shared by everybody but he has the right to do that.

  5. Notre Dame:

    People do n’t like the flag. They do n’t like the Pledge of Allegiance. Everything in this world they do n’t like – the Redskins. Good Lord knows. Let’s have the ability to stand up. I used to think the First Amendment said I have the freedom of speech to say what I want and say what I feel. But let’s not be intimidated any longer. It’s time the silent majority stood up. it is worth noting... that there is no comparison between Notre Dame’s nickname and mascot and the Indian and warrior names( and) mascots used by other institutions such as the NFL team formerly known as the Redskins.


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"freedom of speech." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 30 Apr. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/freedom+of+speech>.

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