Chainless

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Having no links or connections that bind together
2. Being devoid of any form of restraint or limitation that typically constrains
3. Lacking the physical or metaphorical ties that usually connect elements together

Etymology: "Chainless" is a plain compound: the noun "chain" with the suffix "-less," which means "without" or "lacking." Put together, it describes something that has no chain, or nothing binding it in the way a chain would. The suffix does most of the work. English has produced many such pairs, such as "boundless," "careless," and "homeless," and "-less" has been attached to nouns freely for centuries. "Chainless" follows the same pattern, so its meaning can be read straight from its parts, and it has been used both for literal objects (a bicycle without a chain drive) and for figurative ideas like freedom from restraint.

Synonyms: unlinked, free

Antonyms: linked, connected