unencumber

C2+ Topic:People & Society

US /ˌʌnɪnˈkʌmbɚ/ UK /ˌʌnɪnˈkʌmbə/ See IPA manual

verb

Meanings

1

verb
to free from a burden or impediment

The reforms aimed to unencumber small firms from excessive paperwork.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to free from a burden or... free unburden liberate disencumber relieve

Opposites

encumber burden hamper saddle

Word family

Derived forms unencumbered

Related forms encumber encumbrance cumber

Etymology

From un- ('reversal') + encumber, from Old French encombrer ('to block up, hinder'), from en- + combre ('barrier, dam'), from Late Latin combrus ('barricade').

un- Old English encombrer Old French combrus Latin

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Topics

People & Society Word Formation & Derivatives

# unencumber

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** ˌʌnɪnˈkʌmbɚ
**IPA (UK):** ˌʌnɪnˈkʌmbə

## Meanings
1. to free from a burden or impediment

## Examples
- The reforms aimed to unencumber small firms from excessive paperwork.

## Synonyms
- free
- unburden
- liberate
- disencumber
- relieve

## Antonyms
- encumber
- burden
- hamper
- saddle

## Derived Forms
- unencumbered

## Related Forms
- encumber
- encumbrance
- cumber

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: un-
- Root: encombrer
- Root: combrus

## Etymology
From un- ('reversal') + encumber, from Old French encombrer ('to block up, hinder'), from en- + combre ('barrier, dam'), from Late Latin combrus ('barricade').

## AI Etymology
Unencumber is from un- ('reversal') + encumber, from Old French encombrer ('to block up, hinder'), from en- + combre ('barrier, dam'), from Late Latin combrus ('barricade'). Important recorded forms include un- (Old English), encombrer (Old French), and combrus (Latin). Morphologically, the un- element marks negation, reversal, removal, or deprivation, while the base supplies the action, quality, or state being denied or undone. The modern sense continues the older lexical line without requiring a separate origin. In current use it covers to free from a burden or impediment. The wider family includes derived forms such as unencumbered and related words such as encumber, encumbrance, and cumber.

## Topics
- People & Society
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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unencumber

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