liberate

Everyday

1. To set a person, animal, place or country free from control, prison or an enemy. tree →
2. To free someone from something that limits them, such as rules or worries. tree →
3. (science) To release a gas or energy: the reaction liberates heat. tree →
4. (slang, joking) To steal or take something quietly: who liberated my biscuits? tree →

In the lessons

In history lessons armies «liberate» towns or countries from an enemy. In science (formal) a chemical reaction can «liberate» gas or heat. In everyday life «liberating» describes a feeling of freedom. Joking slang uses it for taking something that isn't yours. Phrases: liberate from, a liberating feeling.

Examples

• The soldiers liberated the town and the people cheered. tree →
• We liberated the trapped bird from the netting. tree →
• Finishing my exams felt so liberating. tree →
• Adding acid to the metal liberates hydrogen gas. tree →
• The prisoners were liberated at last. tree →
• Someone has liberated my pencil case again! tree →
• Cutting her long hair short felt liberating. tree →
• The new law liberated workers from very long hours. tree →
• The hero succeeded in delivering Theseus, but when he endeavoured to liberate Pirithoeus, the earth shook so violently beneath him that he was compelled to relinquish his task. tree →

Note

Regular verb: liberated, liberating. Noun: liberation; a person who liberates is a liberator. Adjective: liberating (giving a feeling of freedom). Do not confuse with «liberal» (open-minded) or «deliberate» (on purpose).