liberate
/'libəreit/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Verb:
- To set free from imprisonment, slavery, or oppression; to release from confinement or control: The core meaning of "liberate" is to grant freedom or release from a state of restriction, often implying a forceful or deliberate action against an oppressive force.
- To release (a substance, such as gas or energy) as a result of a chemical or physical process: In scientific contexts, "liberate" means to cause a substance to be released or set free from a compound or state.
- To grant equal rights and freedoms, especially to a group that has been oppressed or denied them: This meaning extends to social and political contexts, focusing on ending systemic restrictions.
Examples of Usage
- Verb:
- The army's mission was to liberate the occupied city.
- The chemical reaction liberates a significant amount of heat.
- The movement fought to liberate women from traditional societal constraints.
- They worked to liberate the minds of the people from fear and propaganda.
Advanced Usage
- "to liberate oneself from": to free oneself mentally or emotionally from something restrictive.
- She sought to liberate herself from the burden of past mistakes.
- Used in historical and political discourse to describe the act of freeing a country or people from foreign domination or a tyrannical regime.
- The nation celebrated the day it was liberated.
Variants and Related Words
- Liberation (n): The act of setting someone free or the state of being freed.
- The liberation of the prisoners was a moment of great joy.
- Liberator (n): A person who liberates a person or place.
- He was hailed as a liberator by the local population.
- Liberated (adj): Freed, especially from traditional social or sexual restrictions.
- She felt liberated after quitting her stressful job.
Synonyms
- Free: The most general synonym.
- Emancipate: Often used in the context of freeing from legal, social, or political restrictions (e.g., emancipate slaves).
- Release: To set free from confinement or a binding situation.
- Deliver (archaic/literary): To set free from danger or oppression.
- Unshackle: To free from shackles or restraints, often used metaphorically.
Related Phrasal Verbs
(Note: "Liberate" is not commonly used with particles to form standard phrasal verbs. Its meaning is typically expressed directly.)
Related Idioms
- "Liberate [something]" (informal, often humorous or euphemistic): To steal or take something without permission, especially in a context seen as defying authority.
- The soldiers liberated a few bottles of wine from the cellar.
- "Feel liberated": To experience a sense of great freedom and relief.
- After telling the truth, he felt completely liberated.
Verb
- release (gas or energy) as a result of a chemical reaction or physical decomposition
- grant freedom to
- The students liberated their slaves upon graduating from the university
- grant freedom to; free from confinement
- give equal rights to; of women and minorities