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

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

The Slavery Abolition Act became British law in 1834, during a century that would see worldwide emancipations thanks to the efforts of enslaved people and abolitionists.

From The Wall Street Journal

Meanwhile, Northern states began gradual emancipation, making slavery a sectional institution dividing North from South.

From The Wall Street Journal

Wartime production, rail expansion and emancipation were reshaping labor markets.

From The Wall Street Journal

Relentless in his campaign for emancipation and equal citizenship, Douglass secured his place as both a pillar of American democracy and an enduring emblem of black achievement.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• independence
• liberation