frei
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Pronunciations

frei (FRYE) listen

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Definitions

  • adj. Free; liberal, non-religious, the opposite of frum.

  • v. (With the particle "out") to become non-religious, "go off the derekh."

Example Sentences

  • "That girl used to be frum (observant) but she went off the derech and now she is so frei that she wears mini-skirts."

  • "Did you hear the latest? [Pop icon] Matisyahu frei'd out."

  • “The fraie guy came to shul on Shabbos, but he drove.” (Weiser)

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Languages of Origin

  • Yiddish

Etymology

  • פֿרײַ fray 'free'

      • Who Uses This

      • Orthodox: Jews who identify as Orthodox and observe halacha (Jewish law)
      • Ashkenazim: Jews with Ashkenazi heritage

      Regions

      • Great Britain
      • South Africa

      Dictionaries

      • Frumspeak: The First Dictionary of Yeshivish, by Chaim Weiser (Northvale, 1995).
      • Yinglish: A Lexicon of Judeo-English by Aliza Bulow

      Alternative Spellings

      fray, frey, frai, freie, fraye, fraie, fry

Notes

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