"Free of" vs. "Free from" - English Language Usage Stack Exchange
So free from is used to indicate protection from something problematic, and free of (which doesnt correspond neatly to freedom of) is used to indicate the absence of something: this shampoo is free of parabens. Therefore: The people were free from the barbaric dictator. The mashed potatoes were free of lumps. I wish I could get rid of this . . .
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