A freedman is a former slave who has been released from slavery, usually by legal means. Historically, slaves became freedmen either by manumission (granted freedom by their owner) or emancipation (granted freedom as part of a larger group).

Compared to other ancient peoples of the Mediterranean basin, the Romans were relatively liberal in freeing slaves and granting them Roman citizenship. In fact, freedmen formed about 5% of the population of Rome during its Imperial Age.

Slaves were able to earn their freedom in more than one way. Educated and trained slaves were almost always freed, a practice that was so common that Emperor Augustus passed a law prohibiting the freeing of slaves before they reached the age of thirty. A slave could also be freed as a reward for long and dedicated service, and many were freed in the wills (and therefore at the death) of their owners. The Augustan law also restricted the numbers of manumitted slaves. No more than 100 slaves per household, and a lower number in less affluent households, could be freed in this way. A slave was able to buy his own freedom through his peculium (money), or personal possessions.

Sir Lawrence David Freedman, KCMG, CBE, PC, FBA, FKC (born 7 December 1948) is Professor of War Studies at King's College London, and was a foreign policy adviser to Tony Blair. He is a member of the 2009 United Kingdom Iraq War inquiry.

Freedman was educated at Whitley Bay Grammar School, the Victoria University of Manchester (BA), University of York (BPhil), and University of Oxford, where he was a student of Nuffield College (Fellow 1974/5) and the Faculty of Social Studies. His DPhil thesis, submitted in 1975, was entitled, The definition of the Soviet threat in strategic arms decisions of the United States: 1961-1974. He also held a part-time lectureship at Balliol College at this time.

Freedman's wife Judith is KPMG Professor of Taxation Law and a Fellow of Worcester College at Oxford University. They have two children, Sam and Ruth.

Freedman held positions at the International Institute for Strategic Studies and Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House) before he was appointed, in 1982, Professor of War Studies at King's College London. He has been Vice Principal (Research) of King's since 2003 and a Fellow since 1992.

Timothy "Tim" James Freedman (25 November 1964) is an Australian musician, best known as the mainstay lead singer and keyboardist of the Australian band The Whitlams formed in 1993. The song "No Aphrodisiac", co-written by Freedman, was their break-through hit in 1997; their top four ARIA albums are Love This City (1999), Torch the Moon (2002), Little Cloud (2006) and compilation, Truth, Beauty and a Picture of You: Best of the Whitlams in 2008.

A highlight of his career was receiving an ARIA Music Award for 'Song of the Year' in 1998 from former Australian Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam—after whom his band is named.

Tim Freedman was born in 1964 in Sydney and was raised in Collaroy^{[citation needed]}, in Sydney's Northern Beaches region, and was educated at the prestigious Shore School in North Sydney. Prior to co-founding The Whitlams, Freedman was the front man of ska band Itchy Feet, and later the indie pop bands Penguins on Safari and The Olive Branch.

In an interview, which aired on 612 ABC Brisbane on Friday September 29, 2006, Freedman said he became a pianist "by mistake" after quitting law school. He later completed a Bachelor of Arts at Sydney University.

Judith Marjorie "Judy" Collins (born May 1, 1939) is an American singer and songwriter, known for her eclectic tastes in the material she records (which has included folk, show tunes, pop, rock and roll and standards); and for her social activism. She is an alumna of the University of Colorado.

Collins was born and raised in Seattle, Washington. As a child, Collins studied classical piano with Antonia Brico, making her public debut at age 13, performing Mozart's Concerto for Two Pianos. Dr. Brico took a dim view, both then and later, of Collins's developing interest in folk music, which led her to the difficult decision to discontinue her piano lessons. Years later, when Collins had become internationally known through her music, she invited Dr. Brico to one of her concerts in Denver. When they met after the performance, Brico took both of Judy's hands in hers, looked wistfully at her fingers and said, "Little Judy—you really could have gone places." Still later, Collins discovered that Brico herself had made a living when she was younger playing jazz and ragtime piano (Singing Lessons, pp. 71–72). She also had the fortune of meeting many musicians through her blind father, a Seattle radio program host.

Mia Freedman (born 1 October 1971 ) is an journalist, columnist, author, blogger and media consultant.

Freedman was born to Kathy, a psychologist and art gallery owner, and Laurence Freedman, who worked in finance and currently heads The Freedman Foundation. Her father came to Australia to flee the apartheid regime in South Africa. Freedman was raised Jewish. She grew up in Sydney and attended the Ascham School.

She began her career at Cleo, doing work experience at the age of 19. Her first paid job in media was as Cleo's Beauty Editor and she stayed at Cleo for five years working her way up to the position of Features Editor. She left Cleo in 1995 and spent several months as a freelance features writer for magazines including Marie Claire, New Weekly and Who Weekly. In 1996 she became Editor of Australian Cosmopolitan magazine. At age 24, she was the youngest editor of Cosmopolitan's 58 international editions.

In 2001 she was named Editor Of The Year by her peers at the Magazine Publishers Association Awards and during the time she was editor, Cosmopolitan experienced a surge in circulation, readership and advertising revenue. She also launched new stand-alone titles Cosmopolitan Hair & Beauty, Cosmopolitan Pregnancy and Cosmopolitan Brides which are all published several times a year.