free software

n. As defined by Richard M. Stallman and used by the Free Software movement,
this means software that gives users enough freedom to be used by the free
software community. Specifically, users must be free to modify the software
for their private use, and free to redistribute it either with or without
modifications, either commercially or noncommercially, either gratis or
charging a distribution fee. Free software has existed since the dawn of
computing; Free Software as a movement began in 1984 with the GNU Project.
RMS observes that the English word free can refer either to liberty (where
it means the same as the Spanish or French libre ) or to price (where it
means the same as the Spanish gratis or French gratuit ). RMS and other
people associated with the FSF like to explain the word free in free
software by saying Free as in speech, not as in beer. See also open source.
Hard-core proponents of the term free software sometimes reject this newer
term, claiming that the style of argument associated with it ignores or
downplays the moral imperative at the heart of free software.

