liberation
Americannoun
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the act of liberating or the state of being liberated.
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the act or fact of gaining equal rights or full social or economic opportunities for a particular group.
noun
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a liberating or being liberated
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the seeking of equal status or just treatment for or on behalf of any group believed to be discriminated against
women's liberation
animal liberation
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of liberation
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin līberātiōn-, stem of līberātiō; equivalent to liberate + -ion
Explanation
Liberation means the setting free of someone or something. Wild animals raised in captivity are often unprepared for their liberation when they are released back into the wild. You'll notice right off the bat that liberation is related to the noun liberty — as in "liberty and justice for all." The difference is that liberation refers specifically to the act of being made free, of going from having no freedom to having it. Famous moments of liberation include Europe's liberation from the Nazis, the slaves' liberation from slavery in the U.S., and South Africa's liberation from the oppression of apartheid.
Vocabulary lists containing liberation
Stargirl
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"Maus II: And Here My Troubles Began" by Art Spiegelman
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Passover Vocabulary
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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.
The decline finally stabilized after consecutive bullish hammer candles appeared in March 2025, followed by back-to-back bullish engulfing candles during the Liberation Day lows in April.
From Barron's • May 27, 2026
Civil rights activist Angela Davis traced the start of the Black women’s movement to the creation of Saar’s 1972 assemblage piece, “The Liberation of Aunt Jemima.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 3, 2026
Two days later, 10,000 People’s Liberation Army soldiers were deployed to build the track.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026
Looking at the stock’s daily chart one can see clear and consistent leading action against consumer rivals dating back to last year’s Liberation Day lows.
From Barron's • Apr. 21, 2026
We decided that if we were allowed to live until the Liberation, we would not stay another day in Europe.
From "Night" by Elie Wiesel
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.
