Free Love

Pronunciation:

[fri lʌv]

Definition

A belief that sexual relationships are meant to be free from the shackles of commitment, love and marriage.

A common vein of thought within the free love community is that marriage, as an institution, is outdated and imposes unnecessary obligation and constraint on the individuals within the marriage.

The term is most commonly attributed to Oneida Christian Group leader John Noyes. His community had a policy in which every male was married to every female and vise verse. After coining the term ‘free love’, Noyes would later abandon it in favor of the term “complex marriage”.

Example

Monique was in a long-term relationship and had two kids, but she would often engage in sexual relations with other people. Her boyfriend knew that she believed in the idea of Free Love, so he didn’t let it get to him too much.