emancipation

American  

[ih-man-suh-pey-shuhn] / ɪˌmæn səˈpeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act of emancipating.

2. the state or fact of being emancipated. emancipated.

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emancipation British  

/ ɪˌmænsɪˈpeɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of freeing or state of being freed; liberation

2. informal freedom from inhibition and convention

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Other Word Forms

• emancipationist noun
• nonemancipation noun
• preemancipation noun
• self-emancipation noun

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”; emancipate ) + -iō -ion

Compare meaning

How does emancipation compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• manumission vs. emancipation

Example Sentences

Mr. Pinsker attaches much importance to that effort, noting that it emboldened military enforcement of emancipation and Congressional support for black recruitment.

From The Wall Street Journal

Less attention has been paid to the ways in which enslaved people strove for emancipation through acts of resistance.

From The Wall Street Journal

A pragmatic realist, he stopped short of calling for immediate emancipation, which he knew was unacceptable to most American voters.

From The Wall Street Journal

But Iranians have never remained satisfied with national bargains in which they forfeit political rights for economic dividends or social emancipation.

From The Wall Street Journal

Most Spanish American republics had ended slavery or implemented gradual emancipation measures as early as 1811, with final abolition in place by the mid-1850s.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• independence
• liberation