later, ... there are 14 competing jargon files.

"Free software" is a fine descriptor. It's needlessly confusing to repeat that "beer as in slurred speech" thing, though. Free software can be free "as in beer"[0], but the way it gets said makes it sound like it zero cost software is an anti-goal, rather than pointing out that it's not the true goal. Then the "free as in speech" thing is kind of pointless because you can just say "free as in freedom".

Free software is about fundamental computer freedom -- freedom to own your computer, inspect and modify, etc. -- we already have this word.

[0] where who why free beer ever? 0% relatable, 0/10 would still like a free beer though