Main Entry: lib·er·ate

Pronunciation: \ˈli-bə-ˌrāt\

Function: transitive verb

Inflected Form(s): lib·er·at·ed; lib·er·at·ing

Etymology: Latin liberatus, past participle of liberare, from liber

Date: circa 1623

1 : to set at liberty : free; specifically : to free (as a country) from domination by a foreign power
2 : to free from combination <liberate the gas by adding acid>
3 : to take or take over illegally or unjustly <material liberated from a nearby construction site — Thorne Dreyer>

synonyms see free

— lib·er·a·tor \-ˌā-tər\ noun

— lib·er·a·to·ry \ˈli-b(ə-)rə-ˌtȯr-ē\ adjective