Freeman (noun)

A person who is not a slave or serf; a person who enjoys civil and political rights, particularly the right to vote.

Origin:

Old english frēoman ‘free man, man of noble birth’, from frēo ‘free’ + man ‘man’. in middle english the term denoted a tenant in chief holding directly from the king, hence the sense ‘a person who is not a serf or slave’.

Examples:

1. Only freemen could vote in the early American colonies.
2. After the Civil War, African Americans were granted the status of freemen.
3. The Magna Carta granted certain rights to English freemen.
4. In ancient Rome, only freemen could hold public office.
5. Freemen were instrumental in the formation of trade guilds during the Middle Ages.