emancipation
Americannoun
-
the act of freeing or state of being freed; liberation
-
informal freedom from inhibition and convention
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of emancipation
First recorded in 1625–35; from Latin ēmancipātiōn-, stem of ēmancipātiō, from ēmancipāt(us) “freed from control” (past participle of ēmancipāre “to free from control”; see emancipate) + -iō -ion
Compare meaning
How does emancipation compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Emancipation is being set free from the control of someone or something. Your emancipation from your parents comes when you turn 18 and are legally considered an adult. The word appears most memorably in the Emancipation Proclamation, Abraham Lincoln's order of 1863 that freed enslaved people in the U.S. Emancipation can describe any kind of liberation: "If you're really chafing under the rigors of practicing for the upcoming game, you and your teammates can go on strike for emancipation from the grueling schedule your coach has decreed."
Vocabulary lists containing emancipation
Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" Speech (1963)
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
American History I
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I've Been to the Mountaintop" (1968)
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
While President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in January 1863, the proclamation didn’t apply to border states loyal to the Union.
From Barron's • Jun. 19, 2026
Not every enslaved person actually gained their freedom after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 17, 2026
Following the incident, Bristol City Council released images of an elephant carved in ivory, an ivory statue of the Buddha, a ship lantern and an Emancipation token.
From BBC • Jan. 29, 2026
When Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in January 1863—declaring enslaved people in the rebellious states “forever free” and opening the Union Army to black enlistment—Douglass and other skeptics were electrified.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 24, 2025
Some were dubbing Executive Order 8802 and the Fair Employment Practices Committee “the most significant move on the part of the Government since the Emancipation Proclamation.”
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
