# Free

It is confusing to outsiders, but by [us](lrs.md), as well as the wider tech and some non-tech communities, the word *free* is normally used in the sense of [free as in freedom](free_software.md), i.e. implying [freedom](freedom.md), not price. The word for "free of cost" is [gratis](gratis.md) (also *free as in beer*) or [freeware](freeware.md). To prevent this confusion the word *[libre](libre.md)* is sometimes used in place of *free*, or we say *free as in freedom*, *free as in speech*, even [FOSS](foss.md) (this one is not so strong) etc.