Definition of "freethinker" [free•think•er]

• One who has rejected authority and dogma, especially in religious thinking, in favor of rational inquiry and speculation. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Now my first reaction to "freethinker" is "well, you get what you pay for," and nothing in the essay caused me to alter that opinion."
• "Next election, the freethinker is tossed, either by the nomination committee or the electorate."
• "* An unidentified Major in Iraq -- a fundamentalist Christian pretending to be a "freethinker" -- for attending the first meeting of atheist service members under the umbrella of the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers, then verbally berating the other attendees, accusing them of plotting against Christians and disrespecting soldiers who have died protecting the Constitution."