The relevance of the study is determined by the increased attention of linguistics to the study of the concept of freedom in the value-semantic system of modern English, its active representation in political, cultural and social discourses, as well as the need for a comprehensive clarification of the semantic organisation and mechanisms of linguistic realisation of this concept, taking into account contextual variability and synonymic relations. The aim of the study was to analyse the synonymic series of the lexeme freedom as a key nominant of the linguistic and cultural concept of the same name. The research methodology included definitional, component, comparative, contextual and corpus analysis, which ensured the selection, description and classification of synonymic units, as well as the identification of their semantic and functional characteristics. The main lexical-semantic groups of synonyms for the lexeme freedom were established, covering political and civil rights, autonomy, freedom from coercion, privileges granted, freedom of choice and freedom of movement. Their dominant semes, typical collocations and stylistic parameters were analysed, which made it possible to clarify the conceptual component of the concept. A partial neutralisation of the semantic differences between freedom and liberty has been established in the political speeches of American presidents, where these lexemes mark fundamental democratic values. An analysis of the use of the lexemes freedom and liberty in speeches by American presidents showed that these terms acquired primarily philosophical, democratic and global significance, emphasising their role as fundamental values of the nation. The lexeme liberty was usually associated with constitutional rights, particularly in fixed combinations, emphasising the protection of specific freedoms. At the same time, freedom emphasised the universality and immutability of people’s desire for autonomy, contrasting it with bondage and morally negative phenomena. Both lexemes were also used in a global context. Contextual synonyms (rights, opportunity, victory) that expand the semantic structure of the concept in discursive practice were analysed. The practical value of the study lay in the possibility of applying its results by specialists in cognitive linguistics, linguoculturology, political linguistics, as well as in the teaching of academic English and the analysis of political discourse
linguo-cultural concept; synonymic range; lexical-semantic group; cognitivediscursive analysis; political rhetoric; lexical variability; discursive strategies