liquidate

verb

liq·​ui·​date ˈli-kwə-ˌdāt 

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

ˌli-kwə-ˈdā-shən 

noun

Synonyms of liquidate

• eradicate
• erase
• abolish
• destroy

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

As Puerto Rican regulators prepared to liquidate the bank in March 2023, prosecutors said Ramirez and Niembro caused Nodus to accept a loan portfolio from Nodus Finance to pay down debt associated with the notes. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026

In 2025, when three other SpaceX funds were liquidated, Meyer allegedly moved about $636,000 meant for investors into his personal account. — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026

The move was amplified by a cascade of short covering, with more than $300 million in short bitcoin positions liquidated over the past 24 hours, according to CoinGlass. — Sean Conlon,justina Lee,sarah Min, CNBC, 20 Sep. 2026

This type of filing allows the company to restructure itself without liquidating assets. — Dale Denwalt, Oklahoman, 18 Sep. 2026

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)

Rhymes for liquidate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate
• angulate

Kids Definition

liquidate

verb

liq·​ui·​date ˈlik-wə-ˌdāt 

liquidated; liquidating

1

: pay off sense 1

liquidate a debt

2

: to put an end to : do away with

liquidation

ˌlik-wə-ˈdā-shən 

noun

Legal Definition

liquidate

verb

liq·​ui·​date ˈli-kwə-ˌdāt 

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

ˌli-kwə-ˈdā-shən 

noun