1. To liberate someone or something from imprisonment or confinement. A noun or pronoun can be used either before or after "free." The activists snuck into the lab and set free nearly 200 animals being used for biological experiments. The president set the man free from prison with an executive order.

2. To release someone or something from some obligation, control, or restriction. A noun or pronoun can be used either before or after "free." The rebellion is trying to set the country free from the tyrannical dictator. The ruling means the company is set free from its duty to recompense any customer affected by their defective product.