liquidate

verb

liq·​ui·​date ˈli-kwə-ˌdāt How to pronounce liquidate (audio)
liquidated; liquidating

transitive verb

1
a(1)
: to determine by agreement or by litigation the precise amount of (indebtedness, damages, or accounts)
(2)
: to determine the liabilities (see liability sense 2) and apportion assets toward discharging the indebtedness of
b
: to settle (a debt) by payment or other settlement
liquidate a loan
2
archaic : to make clear
3
: to do away with especially by killing
was hired to liquidate a certain businessman
4
: to convert (assets) into cash
liquidated his securities

intransitive verb

1
: to liquidate debts, damages, or accounts
2
: to determine liabilities (see liability sense 2) and apportion assets toward discharging indebtedness
liquidation noun

Examples of liquidate in a Sentence

The owners were ordered to liquidate the company and pay their creditors. The company is liquidating its assets. The owners were ordered to liquidate. The film is about a professional killer who's hired to liquidate a powerful businessman.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Jones is now appealing a recent order from the court that appointed a receiver to liquidate the assets. Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025 In the past 24 hours, roughly $5 billion of bitcoin has been liquidated, along with about $4 billion of ether and about $2 billion of solana, according to CoinGlass. Auzinea Bacon, CNN Money, 11 Oct. 2025 Lambert said that some repeat buyers who are still moving forward with plans to sell and relocate are either tapping into their substantial home equity or liquidating investments to pay all-cash and avoid today’s higher mortgage rates. Dave Smith, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2025 Authentic Greek Cuisine filed for bankruptcy with plans to liquidate the company’s remaining assets in California. Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for liquidate

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin liquidatus, past participle of liquidare to melt, from Latin liquidus

First Known Use

circa 1575, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a(1)

Time Traveler
The first known use of liquidate was circa 1575

Cite this Entry

“Liquidate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/liquidate. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

liquidate

verb
liq·​ui·​date ˈlik-wə-ˌdāt How to pronounce liquidate (audio)
liquidated; liquidating
1
: pay off sense 1
liquidate a debt
2
: to put an end to : do away with
liquidation noun

Legal Definition

liquidate

verb
liq·​ui·​date ˈli-kwə-ˌdāt How to pronounce liquidate (audio)
liquidated; liquidating

transitive verb

1
: to determine by agreement or litigation the precise amount of
also : to settle (a debt) by payment or other adjustment
2
a
: to determine the liabilities and apportion the assets of especially in bankruptcy or dissolution
liquidate a corporation
compare bankruptcy
b
: to convert (as assets) into cash
liquidate an estate

intransitive verb

: to liquidate something (as a corporation)
liquidation noun

More from Merriam-Webster on liquidate

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