A free translation is a translation that reproduces the general meaning of the original text.
It may or may not closely follow the form or organization of the original.
Richards, Jack, John Platt, and Heidi Weber. 1985.Longman dictionary of applied linguistics. Harlow, Essex, England: Longman.
Pei, Mario A., and Frank Gaynor. 1954.A dictionary of linguistics. New York: Philosophical Library.