freemasonry
UK[ˈfriːmeɪsənri]US[ˈfriːmeɪsənri]
n
The system and institutions of the Free and Accepted Masons, an international fraternal and charitable organization with secret rituals and signs.
n
The principles, practices, or spirit of fellowship and mutual aid characteristic of Freemasons.
Morpheme Breakdown
free
mason
ry
free
mason
ry
Etymology
The term 'freemason' originally referred to a skilled stonemason who was free to travel and work, as opposed to a 'rough mason' or one bound to a single lord. This professional designation, rooted in the medieval guild system, was adopted by speculative societies in the 17th and 18th centuries which used the tools and symbols of stonemasonry as allegories for moral and spiritual development. The abstract noun 'freemasonry' thus evolved from denoting the trade of a privileged mason to signifying the worldwide fraternal order and its characteristic principles of brotherly love, relief, and truth. The semantic shift reflects the organization's transition from an operative craft to a philosophical and charitable institution.
Analysis
Structure: free + mason + ry
free: From Old English 'frēo' (not in bondage, noble, glad). In this compound, it denotes the status of being independent or having special privileges, not bound by the regulations of ordinary guilds.
mason: From Old French 'masson', of Germanic origin, meaning a worker in stone. It refers to the craft of stonemasonry from which the society symbolically derives.
ry: A noun-forming suffix from Old French '-erie', indicating a condition, collective body, or practice (as in 'archery', 'slavery').
Examples
He has been studying the history and symbolism of freemasonry for decades.
The building's cornerstone was laid with a ceremony conducted with traditional freemasonry rites.
A spirit of freemasonry existed among the veterans, who were always ready to help one another.