free-silver
|free-sil-ver|
🇺🇸
/ˌfriːˈsɪlvər/
🇬🇧
/ˌfriːˈsɪlvə/
free coinage of silver
Etymology
'free-silver' originates from English, composed of 'free' (Old English 'frēo') meaning 'not restricted' and 'silver' (Old English 'seolfor') referring to the metal 'silver'.
'free silver' emerged as a political phrase in late 19th-century United States to describe the demand for free coinage of silver; it later appeared hyphenated as 'free-silver' in political writing and commentary.
Initially it referred literally to the idea of 'free (unrestricted) coinage of silver'; over time it evolved into a label for a political movement and its supporters and rhetoric.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a political movement or policy (especially in late 19th-century United States) advocating the free coinage of silver—unlimited minting of silver coins at a fixed ratio to gold—as an alternative to the gold standard.
The free-silver movement gained strong support among indebted farmers in the 1890s.
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Adjective 1
relating to or advocating the policy of free coinage of silver.
free-silver rhetoric featured prominently in the party platform that year.
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Last updated: 2025/11/22 12:58