academic freedom

UK/ˌæk.əˌdɛm.ɪk ˈfɹiː.dm̩/US/ˌæk.əˌdɛm.ɪk ˈfɹi.dm̩/

noun

The right to teach, learn, and (communicate) research freely without unreasonable interference from authority, or fear of reprisal.

OriginGerman akademische Freiheit →
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Meanings

nounacademic freedom (countable and uncountable, plural academic freedoms)

plural academic freedoms

  1. countableuncountableThe right to teach, learn, and (communicate) research freely without unreasonable interference from authority, or fear of reprisal.

Origin

  1. Germanakademische Freiheit
  2. Englishacademic freedom

Calque of German akademische Freiheit. First attested in English in 1901.

More words from German

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 學術自由 /学术自由
  • 學術自由 /学术自由 (xuéshù zìyóu)the right to teach or learn freely without unreasonable interference from authority, or fear of reprisal
French liberté académique, liberté universitaire
  • liberté académiquethe right to teach or learn freely without unreasonable interference from authority, or fear of reprisal
  • liberté universitairethe right to teach or learn freely without unreasonable interference from authority, or fear of reprisal
Icelandic akademískt frelsi
  • akademískt frelsithe right to teach or learn freely without unreasonable interference from authority, or fear of reprisal
Indonesian kebebasan akademik, kebebasan akademis
  • kebebasan akademikthe right to teach or learn freely without unreasonable interference from authority, or fear of reprisal
  • kebebasan akademisthe right to teach or learn freely without unreasonable interference from authority, or fear of reprisal
Japanese 学問の自由
  • 学問の自由 (gakumon-no-jiyū)the right to teach or learn freely without unreasonable interference from authority, or fear of reprisal
Malay kebebasan akademik
  • kebebasan akademikthe right to teach or learn freely without unreasonable interference from authority, or fear of reprisal
Tagalog kalayaang pantalisikan, talisikning kalayaan
  • kalayaang pantalisikanthe right to teach or learn freely without unreasonable interference from authority, or fear of reprisal
  • talisikning kalayaanthe right to teach or learn freely without unreasonable interference from authority, or fear of reprisal
Cite this entry
APA

academic freedom. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/academic%20freedom

MLA

“academic freedom.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/academic%20freedom. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “academic freedom,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/academic%20freedom.

Source: academic freedom on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.