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lib·er·ate

(lĭbə-rāt′)

tr.v. lib·er·at·ed, lib·er·at·ing, lib·er·ates

1. To set free, as from oppression, confinement, or foreign control.

2. Chemistry To release (a gas, for example) from combination.

3. Slang To obtain by illegal or stealthy action: tried to sell appliances that were liberated during the riot.

[Latin līberāre, līberāt-, from līber, free; see leudh- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

liber·at′ing·ly adv.

liber·a′tor n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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