freestyle English · revision 39591

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=1906, Fitchburg Daily Sentinel}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈfɹiːˌstaɪl/, /fɹiˌstaɪəl/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It was formed in English from [[free]] and [[style]].^(OED 2026)^(Etymonline)^(Dictionary.com 2016)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Of a sporting event or competition with few rules governing technique, especially a swimming race in which any stroke may be used: 1906, in the ''Fitchburg Daily Sentinel'' (Massachusetts), and as a noun in the ''New York Times Magazine'' the same year.^(OED 2026) Etymonline dates the swimming sense to 1912, Merriam-Webster to about 1934, and Dictionary.com to 1930–35.^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024)^(Dictionary.com 2016)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Because the fastest stroke was the crawl, ''freestyle'' came to name that stroke itself (1916), and the verb, to swim freestyle, followed in 1935.^(OED 2026)^(Etymonline) The word was applied to wrestling, where Collins distinguishes an amateur style with agreed rules from all-in professional wrestling,^(Collins 2023) as well as to literary, musical and artistic work free of set forms (1938).^(OED 2026) Etymonline dates its general use to 1950.^(Etymonline) In the 1970s it was applied to skiing, skateboarding and other sports that stress acrobatic improvisation (1974; verb 1977).^(OED 2026) In American hip-hop a ''freestyle'' was an improvised rap from 1983,^(OED 2026)^(GDoS) and the verb ''to freestyle'', to rap without preparation, is recorded from 1990.^(OED 2026)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1906 – of a sports event with free choice of technique.^(OED 2026)

+ * 1916 – the stroke used in freestyle swimming, especially the crawl.^(OED 2026)

+ * 1935 – verb, to swim freestyle.^(OED 2026)

+ * 1938 – of art, music or writing, free in form.^(OED 2026)

+ * 1974 – of acrobatic skiing, skateboarding and similar sports.^(OED 2026)

+ * 1983 – an improvised rap.^(OED 2026)^(GDoS)

+ * 1990 – verb, to rap improvisationally.^(OED 2026)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A competition, especially a [[swimming]] race, in which each competitor may choose the style or [[stroke]].^(Collins 2023)^(MWU 2024)

+ # The stroke usually swum in such races, the front [[crawl]].^(MWU 2024)^(OED 2026)

+ # A style of amateur [[wrestling]] with agreed rules, or a style of professional wrestling with no internationally agreed rules.^(Collins 2023)

+ # A discipline in skiing, skateboarding and similar sports made up of [[acrobatic]] moves and tricks.^(Collins 2023)^(OED 2026)

+ # An improvised [[rap]].^(OED 2026)^(GDoS)

+

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Of a sporting event, allowing free choice of technique; of a performance, improvised.^(OED 2026)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To swim, ski, perform or rap in freestyle; especially, to make up rap lyrics on the spot.^(OED 2026)^(GDoS)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[freestyler]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[free]]

+ * [[style]]

+ * [[improvise]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}