noun
free people; freemen
Historical or sociological term referring to people who are not enslaved or in bondage; often used in contexts like ancient Greece, Rome, or medieval societies.
古代アテネでは、自由民だけが政治に参加できた。
In ancient Athens, only free people could participate in politics.
市民 means 'citizen' and often implies membership in a modern state, while 自由民 emphasizes freedom from bondage in a historical context.
Compound of 自由 (freedom) and 民 (people). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term is used in modern Japanese to translate concepts like 'freemen' in Western historical contexts.