free hand
noun
unrestricted freedom or authority: They gave the decorator a free hand.
Origin of free hand
First recorded in 1925–30
Words nearby free hand
free gift,
free gingiva,
free gold,
free goods,
free graft,
free hand,
free house,
free jazz,
free kick,
free kirk,
free labour
British Dictionary definitions for free hand
free hand
noun
unrestricted freedom to act (esp in the phrase give (someone) a free hand)
adjective, adverb freehand
(done) by hand without the use of guiding instruments
a freehand drawing
Idioms and Phrases with free hand
free hand
Also, free rein. Freedom to do or decide as one sees fit. For example, The teacher gave her assistant a free hand with the class, or They gave me free rein to reorganize the department. The first expression dates from the late 1800s, the second from the mid-1900s.