Can I download Microsoft Office / Word on my Mac?

There are many cheaper options than Microsoft Office.

Legally, there is a download only version of Microsoft Office 2019 for only $99 one time fee

Office 365 is the same cost a year for regular users, and there are student discounts available for up to 5 licenses on an annual license.

http://www.office.com/ offers a web only version of Office, where formatting is slightly off the stand alone App version.

The following options have a variety of formatting issues reading and writing official Microsoft documents, but at least they are typically legible:

Apple iCloud Apps on the web or the App Store release of iWork.

Google Docs.

Neo Office 

Think Free Office, 

Open Office, 

Libre Office, 

Zoho.com 

SoftMaker Office

The only way to use MS Office for free is online. Downside is all of your documents are stored on MS's servers. You cannot save anything locally.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/free-office-online-for-the-web

No

Another vote for LibreOffice...

Look into the Free LibreOffice, it handles MS Office files like Word & Excel, & Page Layout…

https://www.libreoffice.org/

As I say, the other downside is formatting is not exactly the same as the stand alone. The upside, web access to Outlook has many more favorite flags you can customize for your email.

Ah. I overlooked that link in your post. You had already covered it.