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 power2: 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