Synonyms

freebie

American

[free-bee] / ˈfri bi /

Or freebee

noun

Informal.

something given without charge or cost, as a ticket to a performance or sports event or a free sample at a store.

Freebies can be very useful in promoting your brand or business.

freebie British

/ ˈfriːbɪ /

noun

something provided without charge

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

without charge; free

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of freebie

1925–30, free + -bie, of uncertain origin; perhaps originally a noun phrase free bee, with bee ² as in put the bee on to borrow money with no intention of repaying it

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

And if a brand feels dated, uninspiring, or slow to innovate, no amount of points, freebies, or app notifications will fix the problem.

From Barron's

Some felt they were buying into a worthy cause and have been rewarded with friendships and freebies.

From BBC

I’m going to venture that a $60 seat for the World Cup will be harder to get than a freebie to the Eras tour, or perhaps even an audience with the pope.

From The Wall Street Journal

The stakes of this data-for-discounts trade extend beyond a few missed freebies.

From MarketWatch

To illustrate the point, Skye brings freebies to family gatherings: drinks and snacks for her cousins, lotion and hair products for her grandmothers.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023