emancipate

American  

[ih-man-suh-peyt] / ɪˈmæn səˌpeɪt /

verb (used with object)

emancipated, emancipating

1. to free from restraint, influence, or the like.

2. to free (a person) from bondage or slavery.

3. Roman and Civil Law. to terminate paternal control over.

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emancipate British  

/ -trɪ, ɪˈmænsɪpətərɪ, ɪˈmænsɪˌpeɪt /

verb

1. to free from restriction or restraint, esp social or legal restraint

2. (often passive) to free from the inhibitions imposed by conventional morality

3. to liberate (a slave) from bondage

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Related Words

See release.

Other Word Forms

• emancipated adjective
• emancipative adjective
• emancipator noun
• emancipatory adjective
• nonemancipative adjective
• unemancipative adjective

Etymology

Origin of emancipate

First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin ēmancipātus (past participle of ēmancipāre ) “freed from control,” equivalent to ē- “out of, from” ( e- ¹ ) + man(us) “hand” + -cip- (combining form of capere “to seize”) + -ātus past participle suffix ( -ate ¹ )

Example Sentences

For Pontormo, who studied with Leonardo da Vinci and was influenced by Michelangelo and Dürer, it’s the painting that shows him stylistically emancipated from those giants.

From The Wall Street Journal

When Buzzard was in the 11th grade at Santa Maria High School, she filed a petition to be emancipated from Miranda, according to court records.

From Los Angeles Times

Abraham practically brings the house down with “Independently Owned,” an anthem to her character’s emancipated spirit.

From Los Angeles Times

There is a lot of doublespeak, that as women, we have never been as emancipated and free to do what we want as we are today.

From Salon

At 15, Skye sought to be legally emancipated because other child actors had done the same as a means of averting the legal requirements of minors on set.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• liberate
• loosen