disencumber

American  

[dis-en-kuhm-ber] / ˌdɪs ɛnˈkʌm bər /

verb (used with object)

1. to free from a burden or other encumbrance; disburden.

   Synonyms:

   unburden, disembarrass, disentangle

---

disencumber British  

/ ˌdɪsɪnˈkʌmbə /

verb

1. (tr) to free from encumbrances

---

Other Word Forms

• disencumberment noun

Etymology

Origin of disencumber

1590–1600; < Middle French desencombrer, equivalent to des- dis- ¹ + encombrer to encumber

Explanation

To free someone from a burden or difficult situation is to disencumber them. You might try to disencumber yourself from the responsibility of walking the dog by bribing your sister to do it. Want to make your life less complicated or otherwise free yourself from some obstacle? You need to disencumber yourself. Things from which people disencumber themselves tend to be obligations, guilt, relationships, and other complexities of life. Disencumber comes from the verb encumber and its Latin source combrus, "barricade or obstacle."

Example Sentences

Yang’s resignation from the boards of Alibaba and Yahoo Japan should disencumber negotiations around a potential deal for those assets, a positive for the stock.

From Forbes • Jan. 18, 2012

And it would seem that the fleet that lay in Moulin Huet had chiefly come to disencumber itself of all manner of goods for the furnishing and defence of the castle up yonder.

From The Fall of the Grand Sarrasin Being a Chronicle of Sir Nigel de Bessin, Knight, of Things that Happed in Guernsey Island, in the Norman Seas, in and about the Year One Thousand and Fifty-Seven by Ferrar, William J.

Free, liberate, emancipate, manumit, release, disengage, disentangle, disembarrass, disencumber, extricate.

From The Century Vocabulary Builder by Bachelor, Joseph M. (Joseph Morris)

I had previously bought several of such things at Constantinople, and did not choose to encumber myself, or to speak more honestly, I did not choose to disencumber my purse by making any more purchases. 

From Eothen, or, Traces of Travel Brought Home from the East by Kinglake, Alexander William

Some of the soberest had managed to disencumber themselves of their clothing, and to clutch hold of spars to support themselves; but they had another danger, from the seaman’s remorseless enemy, to contend with.

From Old Jack by Kingston, William Henry Giles