liberate

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin līberātus, past participle of līberō (“to set free, deliver”), from līber (“free”); see liberal.

verb

  1. (transitive) To set free, to make or allow to be free, particularly
    1. To release from slavery: to manumit.
    2. To release from servitude or unjust rule.
    3. To release from restraint or inhibition.
      Jeeves: Foreign travel often liberates emotions best kept in check, sir. The air of North America is notoriously stimulating in this regard, as witness the regrettable behavior of its inhabitants in 1776. B. Wooster: Hm? What happened in 1776, Jeeves? Jeeves: I prefer not to dwell on it, if it's convenient to you, sir. May 12 1991, “Kidnapped!”, in Jeeves and Wooster, Series 2, Episode 5
      You need to free your mind and liberate yourself from prejudice.
    4. (chemistry) To release from chemical bonds or solutions.
      Since the procedure liberates a large amount of chlorine gas, a powerful ventilation system is recommended.
  2. (transitive, military, euphemistic) To acquire from an enemy during wartime, used especially of cities, regions, and other population centers.
  3. (transitive, euphemistic) To acquire from another by theft or force: to steal, to rob.
    I had proven myself, when I was required to liberate (steal) dynamite, steal cars for robberies, and to perform disciplinary action against party members. 1969, United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Government Operations. Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Riots, Civil and Criminal Disorders, page 3796
    For expedience, he intended to use his talents to liberate a few choice bottles from the wine cellars without going through the difficulty of a formal requisition. 1986, Jack Hemingway, Misadventures of a Fly Fisherman: My Life with and Without Papa, page 158
    He was trying to liberate some funds for the revolution from a liquor store, and he got caught. It was his first time out, and he got flat-ass caught. 2014, Collin Wilcox, Doctor, Lawyer
    We didn't need IDs. We just liberated these beers from the back of the shop.

Attribution / Disclaimer All definitions come directly from Wiktionary using the Wiktextract library. We do not edit or curate the definitions for any words, if you feel the definition listed is incorrect or offensive please suggest modifications directly to the source (wiktionary/liberate), any changes made to the source will update on this page periodically.