liberation

noun

lib·​er·​a·​tion ˌli-bə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce liberation (audio)
Synonyms of liberation
1
: the act of liberating : the state of being liberated
2
: a movement seeking equal rights and status for a group
women's liberation
liberationist
ˌli-bə-ˈrā-sh(ə-)nist How to pronounce liberation (audio)
noun

Synonyms of liberation

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Examples of liberation in a Sentence

The liberation of the city took weeks. the liberation of the slaves was one of the key results of the Civil War
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Some audience members will still be shocked or angry because their grandfather was part of the resistance movement, which became very strong in Denmark right up to the liberation. — Marta Balaga, Variety, 6 Sep. 2026 Beyoncé describes the original project as essentially her first visual album, using short films to explore the full arc of a relationship and themes of confidence, liberation, audacity and compatibility. — Spin Staff, SPIN, 4 Sep. 2026 Especially exciting to him was the German student movement, which combined support for liberation across the non-Western world with attacks on what the students considered the suffocating (and still insufficiently de-Nazified) Federal Republic. — Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2026 Steinem became a prominent figure of the women’s liberation movement in the back half of the 20th century. — Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for liberation

Word History

Etymology

Middle English liberacion "deliverance," borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French, "action of freeing," borrowed from Latin līberātiōn-, līberātiō "setting free, release, acquittal," from līberāre "to give free status to (a slave), release" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at liberate

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of liberation was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing liberation

Rhymes for liberation

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Browse Nearby Words

liberated
liberation
liberationism
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Cite this Entry

“Liberation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/liberation. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

liberation

noun
lib·​er·​a·​tion ˌlib-ə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce liberation (audio)
1
: the act of liberating : the state of being liberated
2
: a movement seeking equal rights for a group

More from Merriam-Webster on liberation

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about liberation

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