Free State

noun

: a state of the U.S. in which slavery was prohibited before the Civil War

Word History

First Known Use

1819, in the meaning defined above

Geographical Definition

Free State

geographical name

variants or Vrystaat

ˈfrā-ˌstät 

ˈfrī-

or formerly Orange Free State

ˈȯr-inj 

ˈär-,

-ənj

province of the east central part of the Republic of South Africa between the Orange and Vaal rivers and bordering Lesotho area 49,992 square miles (129,480 square kilometers), population 2,745,590