liquidation
/lɪkwɪˈdeɪʃ(ə)n
/noun [mass noun]
1The process of liquidating a business: the company went into liquidation...
- One month after these events it went into liquidation owing creditors over £100,000.
- It went into examinership in August after its British business went into liquidation and it was forced to close offices worldwide.
- During the time he spent behind bars his business went into liquidation.
1.1The conversion of assets into cash (i.e. by selling them).But private equity investors especially covet the fact that they stand ahead of holders of the common for the proceeds of asset liquidation in the event of bankruptcy...
- The whole idea of liquidation is that all assets are liquidated and the proceeds distributed equitably in accordance with the law.
- Consequently, older borrowers are less vulnerable to external income and expense shocks because they tend to have more assets available for liquidation.
1.2The clearing of a debt.
2 informal The killing of someone, typically by violent means.How could a collaborator of the British and a pledged advocate of violent liquidation of minorities, Muslims in particular, be invited to this function?...
- We should all be obliged to appear before a board every five years and justify our existence… on pain of liquidation.
- Take Stalin's liquidation of the kulaks, or the Nazis' mass murder of the Jews.
Origin
Mid 16th century: from French, from liquider 'liquidate', based on Latin liquidus (see liquid).