Freedom is a state of being. One is either free or they are governed. They cannot be both.
There is no sliding scale. If one is said to be "less free", this is simply an admission that this person is not free. Even while such a phrase may be perfectly fine in terms of English grammar, it doesn't capture the truth that such a person is not free in any sense that doesn't undermine the word's meaning.
A dog on a chain is not free. No matter how long a chain may be the animal is governed by the length of said chain. It is proper however to say that a dog on a longer chain has more liberty than a dog on a shorter one. Given a choice between a longer chain and freedom, I suppose, most dogs would rather be free.
