liberation

[lib-uh-rey-shuhn]

noun

1. the act of liberating or the state of being liberated.

2. the act or fact of gaining equal rights or full social or economic opportunities for a particular group.

liberation

/ ˌlɪbəˈreɪʃən /

noun

1. a liberating or being liberated

2. the seeking of equal status or just treatment for or on behalf of any group believed to be discriminated against

   women's liberation

   animal liberation

Other Word Forms

• liberationist noun
• nonliberation noun
• postliberation adjective
• preliberation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of liberation¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin līberātiōn-, stem of līberātiō; equivalent to liberate + -ion

Example Sentences

Beyoncé’s contemporary catalogue is sprinkled with references to Black liberation and radical Black feminism.

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“Young people are the ones to inherit this world, so who would be better to lead us on the path to liberation?” asked Martinez.

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“The Declaration in an Age of Revolutions” outlines the document’s 18th- and 19th-century impacts abroad, including on the French Revolution and national liberation movements in the Caribbean and Central and South America.

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The black-and-white scarf, a symbol of Palestinian liberation, often sparks comments from patients, some of them disapproving.

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It also highlights the band’s maturation and liberation as established artists at the height of their performing powers.

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Related Words

• abolition 
• deliverance 
• democracy 
• emancipation 
• salvation 
• sovereignty