liberate
verb
lib·er·ate ˈli-bə-ˌrāt 
liberated; liberating
transitive verb
1
: to set at liberty : free
specifically : to free (something, such as a country) from domination by a foreign power
2
: to free from combination
liberate the gas by adding acid
3
: to take or take over illegally or unjustly
material liberated from a nearby construction site
Thorne Dreyer
Thorne Dreyer liberator
ˈli-bə-ˌrā-tər
noun liberatory
ˈli-b(ə-)rə-ˌtȯr-ē
adjective 
Synonyms
- discharge
- disenthrall
- disenthral
- emancipate
- enfranchise
- enlarge
- free
- loose
- loosen
- manumit
- release
- spring
- unbind
- uncage
- unchain
- unfetter
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Rebels fought to liberate the country. Soldiers liberated the hostages from their captors. Laptop computers could liberate workers from their desks. He was using materials that he had liberated from a construction site.
Recent Examples on the Web Laurie, after allowing the specter of Michael to determine and drive her reality for decades, has decided to liberate herself from fear and rage and embrace life. Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 23 Aug. 2022 Russian troops have perpetrated some of their most heinous atrocities while defending population centers against Ukrainian efforts to liberate them. Luke Mogelson, The New Yorker, 23 July 2022 Laurie, after allowing the specter of Michael to determine and drive her reality for decades, has decided to liberate herself from fear and rage and embrace life. Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 23 Aug. 2022 Dalton decided not to liberate anything from the set. Dan Snierson, EW.com, 19 Aug. 2022 The official, Oleksiy Danilov, head of Ukraine’s national security council, said that Crimea was a sovereign territory of Ukraine and that there was an ongoing effort to liberate it. BostonGlobe.com, 19 Aug. 2022 And China, furious right now over House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s recent visit to Taiwan, will be watching as the United States openly strives to liberate itself from manufacturing in the People’s Republic. Steven Mufson, Anchorage Daily News, 9 Aug. 2022 Laurie, after allowing the specter of Michael to determine and drive her reality for decades, has decided to liberate herself from fear and rage and embrace life. Marianne Garvey, CNN, 20 July 2022 Ukraine’s government sees no easy way to counterattack and liberate the plant safely. Drew Hinshaw, WSJ, 17 June 2022 See More
Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 23 Aug. 2022 Russian troops have perpetrated some of their most heinous atrocities while defending population centers against Ukrainian efforts to liberate them. Luke Mogelson, The New Yorker, 23 July 2022 Laurie, after allowing the specter of Michael to determine and drive her reality for decades, has decided to liberate herself from fear and rage and embrace life. Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 23 Aug. 2022 Dalton decided not to liberate anything from the set. Dan Snierson, EW.com, 19 Aug. 2022 The official, Oleksiy Danilov, head of Ukraine’s national security council, said that Crimea was a sovereign territory of Ukraine and that there was an ongoing effort to liberate it. BostonGlobe.com, 19 Aug. 2022 And China, furious right now over House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s recent visit to Taiwan, will be watching as the United States openly strives to liberate itself from manufacturing in the People’s Republic. Steven Mufson, Anchorage Daily News, 9 Aug. 2022 Laurie, after allowing the specter of Michael to determine and drive her reality for decades, has decided to liberate herself from fear and rage and embrace life. Marianne Garvey, CNN, 20 July 2022 Ukraine’s government sees no easy way to counterattack and liberate the plant safely. Drew Hinshaw, WSJ, 17 June 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Latin liberatus, past participle of liberare, from liber — see liberal entry 1
First Known Use
circa 1623, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
liberate
verb
lib·er·ate ˈli-bə-ˌrāt
liberated; liberating
: to set free
liberating
verb
1
as in freeing
to set free (as from slavery or confinement) the animal rightists snuck into the laboratory in the middle of the night to liberate all of the monkeys Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- freeing
- releasing
- rescuing
- emancipating
- saving
- enfranchising
- loosening
- unfettering
- unbinding
- enlarging
- manumitting
- unchaining
- discharging
- springing
- uncaging
- turning loose
- loosing
- disenthralling
- redeeming
- disenthraling
- paroling
- ransoming
- extricating
- disengaging
- unshackling
- disentangling
- delivering
- disencumbering
- disembarrassing
- bailing (out)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- confining
- restraining
- binding
- fettering
- shackling
- imprisoning
- subjugating
- enchaining
- handcuffing
- incarcerating
- conquering
- committing
- enslaving
- locking (up)
- jailing
- subduing
- trammelling
- trammeling
- manacling
- interning
- immuring
2
as in saving
to set free from entanglement or difficulty we were liberated from our financial woes when we hit the grand prize in the lottery Synonyms & Similar Words
- freeing
- saving
- redeeming
- extricating
- rescuing
- disengaging
- releasing
- disentangling
- untangling
- cutting loose
- disembarrassing
- clearing
- unburdening
- delivering
- unraveling
- disencumbering
- untwining
- disburdening
- untying
- unsnarling
- untieing
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- hindering
- impeding
- hampering
- entangling
- blocking
- obstructing
- weighing
- loading
- burdening
- embroiling
- encumbering
- I don't know about you/him/her/them
- i don't know what the world is coming to
- I don't mind if I do
- I don't mind telling you
- I don't suppose
- I doubt it
- I fear
- I formation
- I girder
- I have been there
- i have got to say
- I have it
- I have no idea
- i have to admit
- i have to say
- i have to warn you
- I hear what you're saying
- I iron
- i kid you not
- I knew it
- i know
- I know (it)
- i know it
- I know what you mean
- I like that!