Definition

1. Verb (transitive):
   • To release from confinement, restraint, or a state of being bound. It means to grant liberty or freedom to someone or something that was previously held captive, imprisoned, or restricted.
   • To relieve from an obligation, burden, or oppressive condition.

Usage

The verb "set free" is used with a direct object (the person or thing being released). It is often used in contexts involving physical liberation, such as from prison, but can also apply to abstract forms of release. - Structure: [Subject] sets [Object] free. or [Object] was set free by [Subject]. - It is a phrasal verb where "free" acts as a complement to the verb "set."

Examples

• Active Voice:
  • The activists worked to set free the animals from the laboratory.
  • The judge decided to set the prisoner free after new evidence emerged.
• Passive Voice:
  • The hostages were finally set free after lengthy negotiations.
  • Upon payment of the fine, the impounded vehicle was set free.

Advanced Usage

• Emancipation Context: Used in historical or legal contexts regarding the granting of freedom.
  • The proclamation aimed to set free all enslaved people in the rebellious states.
• Metaphorical/Abstract Use: Can describe releasing someone from a non-physical constraint.
  • Forgiving him set her free from years of anger and resentment.
  • The scholarship set him free from financial worry, allowing him to focus on his studies.

Variants and Related Words

• Liberate (verb): A more formal synonym, often used in political or military contexts (e.g., ).
• Release (verb): A broader term for allowing someone or something to leave confinement or for making something available (e.g., , ).
• Emancipate (verb): Specifically means to set free from legal, social, or political restrictions (e.g., ).
• Free (verb): The simpler, more direct verb with the same core meaning (e.g., ).

Synonyms

• Free, liberate, release, emancipate, let go, discharge, let out.

Antonyms

• Imprison, incarcerate, confine, detain, enslave, capture, restrain.

Related Phrasal Verbs / Constructions

• Turn loose: An informal synonym meaning to release or set free, often implying a lack of control over what happens next.
  • They caught the bird but then turned it loose.
• Let out: To allow someone or something to leave a confined space.
  • She let the cat out of the bag. (Note: This is also an idiom meaning "to reveal a secret.")

Verb

1. grant freedom to
   • The students liberated their slaves upon graduating from the university