"no strings attached" meaning in English

See no strings attached in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adjective

Audio: En-au-no strings attached.ogg [Australia]
Etymology: According to one source, the origin of this phrase is from the cloth industry, where a small flaw in a fabric would be marked by a string so it could easily be spotted. This suggests a meaning of "without flaws". In ancient times, documents that were written on parchment had strings that were used to tie them shut, after they were rolled up. The Babylonian Talmud in Tractate Bava Metzi'a mentions an example of a man who gives his wife a get (bill of divorce) with a string attached, but holds on to the string, so that he can snatch it back (apparently because he is unwilling to actually give her a divorce). According to Jewish law, this is not a valid divorce, because the man has not properly delivered the get, by freely giving it to his wife. Head templates: {{en-adj|-}} no strings attached (not comparable)
  1. (often hyphenated) Characterized by an absence of conditions or obligations. Tags: not-comparable Synonyms: unconditional, zipless Translations (characterized by an absence of conditions or obligations): bedingungslos (German), vollkommen unverbindlich (German), senza se e senza ma (Italian), doo bidiitʼiʼii (Navajo), sin ataduras (Spanish), sin compromiso (Spanish)
    Sense id: en-no_strings_attached-en-adj-HReckeob Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 47 53
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: NSA [initialism]

Adverb

Audio: En-au-no strings attached.ogg [Australia]
Etymology: According to one source, the origin of this phrase is from the cloth industry, where a small flaw in a fabric would be marked by a string so it could easily be spotted. This suggests a meaning of "without flaws". In ancient times, documents that were written on parchment had strings that were used to tie them shut, after they were rolled up. The Babylonian Talmud in Tractate Bava Metzi'a mentions an example of a man who gives his wife a get (bill of divorce) with a string attached, but holds on to the string, so that he can snatch it back (apparently because he is unwilling to actually give her a divorce). According to Jewish law, this is not a valid divorce, because the man has not properly delivered the get, by freely giving it to his wife. Head templates: {{en-adv|-|head=no strings attached}} no strings attached (not comparable)
  1. (idiomatic) Without conditions or obligations; without a catch. Tags: idiomatic, not-comparable Synonyms: unconditionally Related terms: no questions asked, strings attached Translations (without conditions or obligations): ohne Bedingungen (German), ohne Haken und Ösen (German), ohne jegliche Verpflichtung (German), vollkommen unverbindlich (German), без за́дней мы́сли (bez zádnej mýsli) (Russian), без всяких условий (vsjakix) (Russian), sin compromiso (Spanish)
    Sense id: en-no_strings_attached-en-adv-W6QceBmp Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 47 53
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: NSA [initialism]

Alternative forms

Download JSON data for no strings attached meaning in English (7.2kB)

{
  "antonyms": [
    {
      "word": "quid pro quo"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "According to one source, the origin of this phrase is from the cloth industry, where a small flaw in a fabric would be marked by a string so it could easily be spotted. This suggests a meaning of \"without flaws\".\nIn ancient times, documents that were written on parchment had strings that were used to tie them shut, after they were rolled up. The Babylonian Talmud in Tractate Bava Metzi'a mentions an example of a man who gives his wife a get (bill of divorce) with a string attached, but holds on to the string, so that he can snatch it back (apparently because he is unwilling to actually give her a divorce). According to Jewish law, this is not a valid divorce, because the man has not properly delivered the get, by freely giving it to his wife.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "no strings attached (not comparable)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "47 53",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2009 February 19, Vivian Salama, “Pakistan and China: A Fraying Friendship?”, in Time",
          "text": "Since then, Beijing has often offered its support to Islamabad in the way of economic assistance, but also with no-strings-attached military aid.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2020 November 18, Richard Clinnick, “Network News: Emergency funding package of up to £1.8bn agreed for TfL”, in Rail, page 15",
          "text": "He also criticised what he called the Government's \"bailout\" of the privatised rail companies with no strings attached, stating: \"There is simply no reason why the same easy solution could not have been applied to London, [...].\"",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Characterized by an absence of conditions or obligations."
      ],
      "id": "en-no_strings_attached-en-adj-HReckeob",
      "links": [
        [
          "hyphenated",
          "hyphenated"
        ],
        [
          "absence",
          "absence"
        ],
        [
          "condition",
          "condition"
        ],
        [
          "obligation",
          "obligation"
        ]
      ],
      "qualifier": "often hyphenated",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(often hyphenated) Characterized by an absence of conditions or obligations."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "unconditional"
        },
        {
          "word": "zipless"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "not-comparable"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "characterized by an absence of conditions or obligations",
          "word": "bedingungslos"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "characterized by an absence of conditions or obligations",
          "word": "vollkommen unverbindlich"
        },
        {
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "characterized by an absence of conditions or obligations",
          "word": "senza se e senza ma"
        },
        {
          "code": "nv",
          "lang": "Navajo",
          "sense": "characterized by an absence of conditions or obligations",
          "word": "doo bidiitʼiʼii"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "characterized by an absence of conditions or obligations",
          "word": "sin ataduras"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "characterized by an absence of conditions or obligations",
          "word": "sin compromiso"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-no strings attached.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/9/98/En-au-no_strings_attached.ogg/En-au-no_strings_attached.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/En-au-no_strings_attached.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "46 54",
      "tags": [
        "initialism"
      ],
      "word": "NSA"
    }
  ],
  "word": "no strings attached"
}

{
  "antonyms": [
    {
      "word": "quid pro quo"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "According to one source, the origin of this phrase is from the cloth industry, where a small flaw in a fabric would be marked by a string so it could easily be spotted. This suggests a meaning of \"without flaws\".\nIn ancient times, documents that were written on parchment had strings that were used to tie them shut, after they were rolled up. The Babylonian Talmud in Tractate Bava Metzi'a mentions an example of a man who gives his wife a get (bill of divorce) with a string attached, but holds on to the string, so that he can snatch it back (apparently because he is unwilling to actually give her a divorce). According to Jewish law, this is not a valid divorce, because the man has not properly delivered the get, by freely giving it to his wife.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "-",
        "head": "no strings attached"
      },
      "expansion": "no strings attached (not comparable)",
      "name": "en-adv"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adv",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "47 53",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "For a friend, I'll help out for free, no strings attached.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1902, Jack London, chapter 21, in A Daughter of the Snows",
          "text": "Listen. We've kept it quiet, but she's in with the elect on French Hill. Her claim's prospected the richest of the outfit. Present indication half a million at least. In her own name, no strings attached. Couldn't she take that and go anywhere in the world and reinstate herself?",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2013, Tim Myers, Melissa Sheppard, “Bad Things”, in Dear You, performed by Meiko",
          "text": "You say that you want / All of my love / But let's be honest, we don't need all that / I like it better with no strings attached",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Without conditions or obligations; without a catch."
      ],
      "id": "en-no_strings_attached-en-adv-W6QceBmp",
      "links": [
        [
          "condition",
          "condition"
        ],
        [
          "obligation",
          "obligation"
        ],
        [
          "catch",
          "catch"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) Without conditions or obligations; without a catch."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "no questions asked"
        },
        {
          "word": "strings attached"
        }
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "unconditionally"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "not-comparable"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "without conditions or obligations",
          "word": "ohne Bedingungen"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "without conditions or obligations",
          "word": "ohne Haken und Ösen"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "without conditions or obligations",
          "word": "ohne jegliche Verpflichtung"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "without conditions or obligations",
          "word": "vollkommen unverbindlich"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "bez zádnej mýsli",
          "sense": "without conditions or obligations",
          "word": "без за́дней мы́сли"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "vsjakix",
          "sense": "without conditions or obligations",
          "word": "без всяких условий"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "without conditions or obligations",
          "word": "sin compromiso"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-no strings attached.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/9/98/En-au-no_strings_attached.ogg/En-au-no_strings_attached.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/En-au-no_strings_attached.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "46 54",
      "tags": [
        "initialism"
      ],
      "word": "NSA"
    }
  ],
  "word": "no strings attached"
}
{
  "antonyms": [
    {
      "word": "quid pro quo"
    }
  ],
  "categories": [
    "English adjectives",
    "English adverbs",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "English uncomparable adjectives",
    "English uncomparable adverbs"
  ],
  "etymology_text": "According to one source, the origin of this phrase is from the cloth industry, where a small flaw in a fabric would be marked by a string so it could easily be spotted. This suggests a meaning of \"without flaws\".\nIn ancient times, documents that were written on parchment had strings that were used to tie them shut, after they were rolled up. The Babylonian Talmud in Tractate Bava Metzi'a mentions an example of a man who gives his wife a get (bill of divorce) with a string attached, but holds on to the string, so that he can snatch it back (apparently because he is unwilling to actually give her a divorce). According to Jewish law, this is not a valid divorce, because the man has not properly delivered the get, by freely giving it to his wife.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "no strings attached (not comparable)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2009 February 19, Vivian Salama, “Pakistan and China: A Fraying Friendship?”, in Time",
          "text": "Since then, Beijing has often offered its support to Islamabad in the way of economic assistance, but also with no-strings-attached military aid.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2020 November 18, Richard Clinnick, “Network News: Emergency funding package of up to £1.8bn agreed for TfL”, in Rail, page 15",
          "text": "He also criticised what he called the Government's \"bailout\" of the privatised rail companies with no strings attached, stating: \"There is simply no reason why the same easy solution could not have been applied to London, [...].\"",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Characterized by an absence of conditions or obligations."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "hyphenated",
          "hyphenated"
        ],
        [
          "absence",
          "absence"
        ],
        [
          "condition",
          "condition"
        ],
        [
          "obligation",
          "obligation"
        ]
      ],
      "qualifier": "often hyphenated",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(often hyphenated) Characterized by an absence of conditions or obligations."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "not-comparable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-no strings attached.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/9/98/En-au-no_strings_attached.ogg/En-au-no_strings_attached.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/En-au-no_strings_attached.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "unconditional"
    },
    {
      "word": "zipless"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "initialism"
      ],
      "word": "NSA"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "characterized by an absence of conditions or obligations",
      "word": "bedingungslos"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "characterized by an absence of conditions or obligations",
      "word": "vollkommen unverbindlich"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "characterized by an absence of conditions or obligations",
      "word": "senza se e senza ma"
    },
    {
      "code": "nv",
      "lang": "Navajo",
      "sense": "characterized by an absence of conditions or obligations",
      "word": "doo bidiitʼiʼii"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "characterized by an absence of conditions or obligations",
      "word": "sin ataduras"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "characterized by an absence of conditions or obligations",
      "word": "sin compromiso"
    }
  ],
  "word": "no strings attached"
}

{
  "antonyms": [
    {
      "word": "quid pro quo"
    }
  ],
  "categories": [
    "English adjectives",
    "English adverbs",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "English uncomparable adjectives",
    "English uncomparable adverbs"
  ],
  "etymology_text": "According to one source, the origin of this phrase is from the cloth industry, where a small flaw in a fabric would be marked by a string so it could easily be spotted. This suggests a meaning of \"without flaws\".\nIn ancient times, documents that were written on parchment had strings that were used to tie them shut, after they were rolled up. The Babylonian Talmud in Tractate Bava Metzi'a mentions an example of a man who gives his wife a get (bill of divorce) with a string attached, but holds on to the string, so that he can snatch it back (apparently because he is unwilling to actually give her a divorce). According to Jewish law, this is not a valid divorce, because the man has not properly delivered the get, by freely giving it to his wife.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "-",
        "head": "no strings attached"
      },
      "expansion": "no strings attached (not comparable)",
      "name": "en-adv"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adv",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "no questions asked"
    },
    {
      "word": "strings attached"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English idioms",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "For a friend, I'll help out for free, no strings attached.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1902, Jack London, chapter 21, in A Daughter of the Snows",
          "text": "Listen. We've kept it quiet, but she's in with the elect on French Hill. Her claim's prospected the richest of the outfit. Present indication half a million at least. In her own name, no strings attached. Couldn't she take that and go anywhere in the world and reinstate herself?",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2013, Tim Myers, Melissa Sheppard, “Bad Things”, in Dear You, performed by Meiko",
          "text": "You say that you want / All of my love / But let's be honest, we don't need all that / I like it better with no strings attached",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Without conditions or obligations; without a catch."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "condition",
          "condition"
        ],
        [
          "obligation",
          "obligation"
        ],
        [
          "catch",
          "catch"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) Without conditions or obligations; without a catch."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "not-comparable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-no strings attached.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/9/98/En-au-no_strings_attached.ogg/En-au-no_strings_attached.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/En-au-no_strings_attached.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "unconditionally"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "initialism"
      ],
      "word": "NSA"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "without conditions or obligations",
      "word": "ohne Bedingungen"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "without conditions or obligations",
      "word": "ohne Haken und Ösen"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "without conditions or obligations",
      "word": "ohne jegliche Verpflichtung"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "without conditions or obligations",
      "word": "vollkommen unverbindlich"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "bez zádnej mýsli",
      "sense": "without conditions or obligations",
      "word": "без за́дней мы́сли"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "vsjakix",
      "sense": "without conditions or obligations",
      "word": "без всяких условий"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "without conditions or obligations",
      "word": "sin compromiso"
    }
  ],
  "word": "no strings attached"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-04-26 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (93a6c53 and 21a9316). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.