FREE'HOLD, adjective That land or tenement which is held in fee-simple, fee-tail, or for term of life. It is of two kinds; in deed, and in law. The first is the real possession of such land or tenement; the last is the right a man has to such land or tenement, before his entry or seizure. Freehold is also extended to such offices as a man holds in fee or for life. It is also taken in opposition to villenage. In the United States, a freehold is an estate which a man holds in his own right, subject to no superior nor to conditions.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI