free agency

Noun

free agency (countable and uncountable, plural free agencies)

1. A system through which professional athletes are free to play for or sign a contract to play for any team.
   • It has been a profitable trade period for the Blues. They also secured Dale Thomas as a restricted free agent and Sam Docherty from the Brisbane Lions, having lost Shaun Hampson in a trade with Richmond and Eddie Betts under free agency.2013 October 25, Alex Malcolm, “Andrejs Everitt gets to Carlton in last minute deal”, in AFL
   • There are basically two ways to build teams in sports: You can acquire players through free agency or trades, or you can land fresh talent in the draft. This is true in business, too, as venture capitalist Garry Tan pointed out early this month.2025 July 14, Katie Baker, “The Summer of Free AI-gency”, in The Ringer
   1. (countable) The movement of an athlete to a team through this system.
      • In his past two free agencies, James joined a team with another superstar in residence, and another star came with him.2018 June 9, Brian Windhorst, “Get ready: Superteams and superstars can recruit LeBron again”, in ESPN
   2. The status of an athlete as a free agent.
      • These players, in a 3-5-2 formation, are days away from free agency with no club yet acquired as pre-season training approaches[…]2018 June 27, “Free agents XI: Out-of-contract stars yet to sign a deal”, in Football365
2. Synonym of free will
   • The system of his pretended free agency is without support; experience contradicts it every instant, and proves that he never ceases to be under the influence of necessity in all his actions; […].1820 [1770], “Conclusion”, in The System of Nature, translation of Système de la Nature by Paul Henri Thiry Holbach

   Synonyms:

   free will