The term “free” refers to goods and services provided at no cost, with Latin origins and common use in England in the 1400s. It can be used as an adjective or adverb, and is often used in high-end retail or business-to-business transactions. Other phrases like “free of charge” or “at no cost” are more commonly used in normal business-to-consumer transactions.
“Free” is a term that refers to something that is free. Specifically, it generally refers to goods and services provided at no cost to the recipient. The word has Latin origins, but came into common use in England in the 1400s. The term is virtually interchangeable with the terms “complementary” and “free”.
Examples of items that are usually provided free of charge might include free valet parking at a restaurant or theater, refreshments on an airline flight, and Internet access at a hotel. Promotional items that are distributed also fall into this category. Companies often provide free items as an incentive for customers to purchase other products and services.
The word is actually a contraction of the Latin word gratiis, which is variously translated as “favor”, “with graces” or “as kindness”. The word can be pronounced as “grat-is” or “gray-tis”. In either case, the accent is placed on the first syllable.
This particular word can be used as an adjective or an adverb. When used as an adjective, it would describe a noun. For example, a valet might explain that their services are free. In this case, “free” describes the word “services”.
When used as an adverb, the term would describe a verb. For example, the valet may say that his services are provided free of charge. In this case, “free” describes the verb “provided”. In English, the two forms of the word are spelled the same and no alternative forms are used.
It is important to note that “gratis” is only associated with the definition of the English word “free”, which means no charge or obligation in exchange for a good or service provided. In English, “free” can also mean unrestricted, as in the phrase “this is a free country”. Used in this way, the English word “free” correlates with the Latin libre.
Unlike many other adjectives and adverbs, the word “free” rarely precedes the word it modifies in a sentence. For example, a company may advertise “Free Wi-Fi” but is unlikely to advertise “Free Wi-Fi”. The formal feel and sound of the word makes it more likely to be used in high-end retail situations or in the context of business-to-business transactions.
Other words and phrases are more commonly used in normal business-to-consumer transactions. This can include “free of charge”, “free of charge”, “free of charge” or “at no cost”. On the other hand, legal services provided free of charge are called “pro bono”.
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