liberation

noun

lib·​er·​a·​tion ˌli-bə-ˈrā-shən 

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 

noun

Synonyms of liberation

• emancipation

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

Recent Examples on the Web

Its war-like rhythms and relentless pulse give the work a vigorous sense of liberation. —Sheila Regan, Twin Cities, 22 May 2026

The desire for immortality is really a desire for liberation from the claustrophobia of our own minds, not a physiological discovery about how to keep our bodies running longer. —Literary Hub, 21 May 2026

And at the Broad, performers have been paired with songs reflecting Ono’s recurring themes of liberation, vulnerability, resistance and radical imagination. —Spin Staff, SPIN, 21 May 2026

This extends not only to their immediate objectives — finding safety, love and liberation — but to the more conceptual notions of their long-standing existence in Hindu societies, where they’re shouldered with a spiritual importance than can swiftly be stripped away. —Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 20 May 2026

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

Phrases Containing liberation

• liberation theology

Rhymes for liberation

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation

Kids Definition

liberation

noun

lib·​er·​a·​tion ˌlib-ə-ˈrā-shən 

1

: the act of liberating : the state of being liberated

2

: a movement seeking equal rights for a group