liberate

present singular third person liberates · participle present liberating · past liberated · participle past liberated · first person past singular liberated · archaic present second person singular liberatest · past second person singular liberated · archaic past second person singular liberatedst · present singular third person liberates · archaic present singular third person liberateth · past singular third person liberated · past plural liberated · past subjunctive liberated · participle present liberating · participle past liberated

1. transitiveOften followed by from: to allow or cause (someone or something) to be free; to set free, to release.

   Walking slow to beating bosom surest solace soonest gives, / Liberates the brain o'erloaded—best of all restoratives.

   1877 September 14, Robert Browning, “La Saisiaz”, in La Saisiaz: The Two Poets of Croisic, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], published 1878, →OCLC, page 52

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   Thus ſitting and ſurveying thus at eaſe / The globe and its concerns, I ſeem advanced / To ſome ſecure and more than mortal height, / That lib'rates and exempts me from them all.

   1785, William Cowper, “Book IV. The Winter Evening.”, in The Task, a Poem, […], London: […] J[oseph] Johnson; […], →OCLC, page 142

   [T]he prisoner being liberate in manner foresaid, it shall not be lawful to put or detain him in prison for the same crime, under the penalty of wrongous imprisonment, […]

   1828, James Watson, “Wrongous Imprisonment”, in A Practical View of the Statute Law of Scotland, from the Year MCCCCXXIV to the Close of the Session of Parliament MDCCCXXVII, […], volume II, Edinburgh: […] [James Walker] for Bell & Bradfute, and Thomas M. Shiells, →OCLC, page 415

   This is not a time for telling stories, when I am in this prison; but when thou liberatest me, I will relate to thee their case.

   1839, “Chapter II. Continuation of the Story of the Fisherman.”, in Edward William Lane, transl., The Thousand and One Nights, Commonly Called, in England, the Arabian Nights’ Entertainments. […], volume I, London: Charles Knight and Co. […], →OCLC, page 97

   The Doctrine [of the Bardo Thödol] is one which liberateth by being seen, without need of meditation or of sādhanā [perfected devotion]; this Profound Teaching liberateth by being heard or being seen. This Profound Teaching liberateth those of great evil karma through the Secret Pathway.

   1927, [Karma Lingpa], “[The General Conclusion]”, in Kazi Dawa-Samdup, transl., edited by W[alter] Y[eeling] Evans-Wentz, The Tibetan Book of the Dead: Or The After-death Experiences on the Bardo Plane, According to Lāma Kazi Dawa-Samdup’s English Rendering, London: Oxford University Press; Humphrey Milford, →OCLC, book II (The Sidpa Bardo), part II (The Process of Rebirth), page 196

   In Great Britain, where a vigorous antivivisection movement has existed for more than a century, a clandestine group called the Animal Liberation Front conducts commando-style raids on laboratories, liberating animals and sabotaging research equipment.

   1978 December 31, Patricia Curtis, “New Debate over Experimenting with Animals”, in The New York Times Magazine, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 22 Jan 2021, page 20, column 4

   1. transitiveTo free (someone or something) from discriminatory or oppressive attitudes, inhibition, or restraint.

      You need to free your mind and liberate yourself from prejudice.

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      The moſt ſanguine projector, hovvever, could ſcarce flatter himſelf that any augmentation of this kind [in the form of certain taxes] vvould be ſuch as could give any reaſonable hopes either of liberating the public revenue altogether, or even of making ſuch progress tovvards that liberation in time of peace, as either to prevent or to compenſate the further accumulation of the public debt in the next vvar.

      1776 March 9, Adam Smith, “Of Publick Debts”, in An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations. […], volume II, London: […] W[illiam] Strahan; and T[homas] Cadell, […], →OCLC, book V (Of the Revenue of the Sovereign or Commonwealth), pages 568–569

      [A] little philosophy liberates our sex from the tyranny of custom, teaches us to disdain hypocrisy, and to glory in the simplicity of truth.

      1806, [Maria] Edgeworth, “Letter XLI. Olivia to Madame de P——.”, in Leonora. […], volume I, London: […] [Joyce Gold] for J[oseph] Johnson, […], →OCLC, page 273

      They [the missionaries] liberated woman and made her the equal of man.

      1870–1871 (date written), Mark Twain [pseudonym; Samuel Langhorne Clemens], “”, in Roughing It, Hartford, Conn.: American Publishing Company [et al.], published 1872, →OCLC, page 482

      Jeeves: Foreign travel often liberates emotions best kept in check, sir. The air of North America is notoriously stimulating in this regard, as witness the regrettable behavior of its inhabitants in 1776. / Bertie Wooster: Hm? What happened in 1776, Jeeves? / Jeeves: I prefer not to dwell on it, if it's convenient to you, sir.

      1991 May 12 (first broadcast), Clive Exton, “Kidnapped!”, in Jeeves and Wooster, season 2, episode 5, spoken by Jeeves (Stephen Fry), New York, N.Y.: A & E Home Video, →ISBN

   2. transitiveTo release (someone) from slavery; to manumit.
   3. ironicsometimestransitiveTo free (a place such as a country, or the residents thereof) from an occupying force, or from oppression such as unjust rule.

      All your Italian friends must be starving now that we have "liberated" them.

      1944 December 4 (date written), [George] Bernard Shaw, “[Letter dated 4 December 1944]”, in To a Young Actress: The Letters of Bernard Shaw to Molly Tompkins: The Correspondence between Bernard Shaw and an American Artist from 1921 through 1949, New York, N.Y.: Clarkson N. Potter, published 1960, →OCLC, page 181

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      I announced that I was leaving with the two-and-a-half filled with with all of the automatic weapons from both camps plus all the plastique explosive, related equipment, and the pistols. They were to be used, I explained, in parts of France where the war was still going on, by Frenchmen who were still fighting to liberate their country from the Germans.

      1986, Jack Hemingway, chapter 14, in Misadventures of a Fly Fisherman: My Life with and without Papa, Dallas, Tex.: Taylor Publishing Company, →ISBN, page 163

   4. transitivechemistryTo cause (energy or a substance) to be released through a chemical reaction or physical decomposition.

      Since the reaction liberates a large amount of chlorine gas, a powerful ventilation system is recommended.

2. euphemisticinformaltransitiveTo take (property belonging to someone else) by force or theft; to loot, to rob, to steal.

   We didn’t need IDs. We just liberated these beers from the back of the shop.

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   All members of the Black Guard must be willing to perform acts of violence before they are nominated. I had proven myself, when I was required to liberate (steal) dynamite, steal cars for robberies, and to perform disciplinary action against party members.

   1969 June 18, Larry Clayton Powell, witness, “Testimony of Mrs. Jean Powell and Larry Clayton Powell”, in Riots, Civil and Criminal Disorders: Hearings before the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Government Operations, United States Senate, Ninety-first Congress, First Session: Pursuant to Senate Resolution 26, 91th Cengress […], part 19, Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, →OCLC, page 3796

   He was trying to liberate some funds for the revolution from a liquor store, and he got caught. It was his first time out, and he got flat-ass caught.

   1977, Collin Wilcox, chapter 14, in Doctor, Lawyer …, New York, N.Y.: Random House, →OCLC, page 112

   For expedience, he intended to use his talents to liberate a few choice bottles from the wine cellars without going through the difficulty of a formal requisition.

   1986, Jack Hemingway, chapter 13, in Misadventures of a Fly Fisherman: My Life with and without Papa, Dallas, Tex.: Taylor Publishing Company, →ISBN, pages 157–158

1. obsoletetransitiveObsolete form of liberated (past participle of liberate).

   Synonyms: befree, free

1. Scotlandnot comparableobsoletetransitiveFreed, released; free.

   The Papiſts make advantage of the Ceremonies, and thereby confirme themſelves in Popery. […] If vve vvere liberate from the Ceremonies, then might vve doe more againſt the Papiſts, and they ſhould not inſult as they doe.

   1637, [George Gillespie], “That the Ceremonies are Inexpedient, because They Burden and Confirme the Papists”, in A Dispvte against the English-popish Ceremonies, Obtrvded vpon the Church of Scotland. […], [Leiden, South Holland]: […] [W. Christiaens], →OCLC, section I, 2nd part (Against the Expediency of the Ceremonies), page 24

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   [I]n place of eſtablishing true Chriſtian Liberty, vvhich you ſeem here to aſſert, it is evident, that you go about plainly to ſet up, an abſolute Spiritual tyranny, over the Church of God, and ſo load it vvith the Ceremonies, and innovations, a bondage more ſevere then the old diſpenſation, from vvhich vve are liberate; […]

   1671, A Lover of Truth [pseudonym; Robert McWard], “The Third Dialogue Answered”, in The True Non-conformist: In Answere to the Modest and Free Conference betwixt a Conformist and a Non-conformist, about the Present Distempers of Scotland. […], [Amsterdam, South Holland?]: [s.n.], →OCLC, page 125

plural liberates

1. UKhistoricaltransitivelawA writ issued out of the Chancery to authorize the Exchequer to pay a debt, pension, etc., on behalf of the Crown.

   Now (for an ende of Bailement) I will ſhewe you one forme of a Baile, and an other of a Liberate.

   1581, William Lambard[e], “What Things, some Twoo Iustices of the Peace may Doe out of the Sessions”, in Eirenarcha: Or Of the Office of the Iustices of Peace, […], London: […] Ra[lph] Newbery, and H[enry] Bynneman, by the ass[igns] of Ri[chard] Tottel & Chr[istopher] Bar[ker], →OCLC, 1st booke (What Iustices of the Peace bee: And Why Called Iustices), page 264

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   A Liberate is an originall writ iſſuing out of the Chancery, and is directed to ſome Officers that have of the Kings mony in his hands to pay over a penſion, debt, or duty. […] [I]t appeareth that there be two kinds of writs of Liberate, one dormant or currant and continuall, and another hac vice [for this time] and particular. […] If the Officer have ſufficient in his hands to pay, ⁊c, at the time of the Liberate delivered to him, he is become debtor (by act of law) to the party, for which he may have an action of debt: but after the Liberate ſued out, and before the delivery, the king may diſcharge the Officer of the kings money in his hands.

   1644, Edw[ard] Coke, “The Court of Exchequer”, in The Fourth Part of the Institutes of the Laws of England. […], London: […] M[iles] Flesher, for W[illiam] Lee, and D[aniel] Pakeman, →OCLC, page 116

2. UKhistoricaltransitivelawA writ issued to a jailer to release a prisoner on bail.

   For the more remote counties it was found sufficient to show the Patent to the under-sheriffs, when they came up to London to the Michaelmas law-term, and to prepare for their use a liberate, covering the prisoners in each gaol.

   1919, William C[harles] Braithwaite, “The Second Conventicle Act, 1670–1673”, in The Second Period of Quakerism, London: Macmillan and Co., […], →OCLC, page 84

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   VVith us they conſent in the Sufficiency of the Scriptures to ſalvation, in denying the Infallibility of the Church (much more of the Pope) the overplus of Merits, Service ununderſtood, Indulgencies, Liberaties out of Purgatorie, and the like.

   1639, Thomas Fuller, “The Uncurable Breach betwixt the Eastern and Western Churches, with the Occasion thereof”, in The Historie of the Holy Warre, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: […] Thomas Buck, one of the printers to the Universitie of Cambridge [and sold by John Williams, London], →OCLC, book IV, page 174

3. UKUShistoricaltransitivelawA writ issued to a sheriff to release property (goods or land) from their custody.

   [G]oods taken upon an extent sued out upon a statute staple, before the bankruptcy of the debtor, through the goods are not delivered to the creditor by the sheriff upon a liberate until after the bankruptcy, may be held by the creditor against the commissioners under the bankruptcy.

   1845 June, Samuel Prentiss, District Judge, United States District Court for the District of Vermont, “In the Matter of Timothy Reed, a Bankrupt”, in The New York Legal Observer, volume III, New York, N.Y.: Samuel Owen, →OCLC, page 265, column 1

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   Goods extended before the Party becomes a Bankrupt, and delivered by the liberate after he becomes a Bankrupt, can't be ſold by the Commiſſioners, becauſe they being extended are quaſi in Cuſtodia Legis [as if in the custody of the law], ſo as the Conuzor can't diſpoſe of them; and tho' by the Extent the Conuzor hath no abſolute Property till the Delivery upon the liberate, and at the Return of the VVrit he may refuſe them if over valued; yet that is for the Benefit of the Conuzee.

   1719, John Lilly, “Bankrupt”, in The Practical Register: Or, A General Abridgment of the Law, as It is Now Practised in the Several Courts of Chancery, King’s Bench, Common Pleas and Exchequer, […], 2nd edition, volume I, In the Savoy [London]: […] E[lizabeth] and R[ichard] Nutt, and R. Gosling, (assigns of Edw[ard] Sayer, Esq.) for T. Ward and C. Wicksteed […], published 1735, →OCLC, page 286