liberate

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To set someone or something free.

   The soldiers liberated the prisoners from the camp.

2. 2
   verb

   To free a place from enemy control during a war.

   Allied forces liberated the city in 1944.

3. 3
   verb

   To steal something (used humorously or informally).

   We liberated a few drinks from the office party.

From Middle English liberate (the common first word of such writs), from Medieval Latin līberātum, substantivized from the nominative neuter singular of līberātus, see -ate (noun-forming suffix) and Etymology 1 for more. Alternatively, from līberāte, the second-person plural imperative of līberō, compare English allocate (“a warrant for the payment of a pension, allowance, debt, etc.”).

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