anti-Freemason
|an-ti-free-ma-son|
/ˌæn.tiˈfriː.meɪ.sən/
against Freemasons
Etymology
'anti-Freemason' originates from English, specifically combining the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti' meaning 'against') with 'Freemason' (from 'free' + 'mason').
'Freemason' comes from Middle English and Old French (e.g. French 'franc-maçon'), originally meaning 'free mason' (a mason who was not a serf). The compound 'anti-Freemason' developed in English in contexts critical of Freemasonry from the 18th–19th centuries onward.
Initially it referred simply to being 'against Freemasons' or organized Freemasonry; that basic sense has remained, though usage has sometimes broadened to describe movements or ideologies opposed to Freemasonry.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a person who is opposed to Freemasonry or to Freemasons as an organization.
An anti-Freemason gave a speech criticizing lodge secrecy.
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Adjective 1
opposed to Freemasons or to the institution of Freemasonry.
The newspaper ran an anti-Freemason article that questioned lodge influence.
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Last updated: 2025/11/04 04:25