emancipation

noun

eman·​ci·​pa·​tion i-ˌman(t)-sə-ˈpā-shən How to pronounce emancipation (audio)
: the act or process of emancipating
emancipationist noun

Did you know?

The Emancipation Proclamation, issued by Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, ordered that enslaved people living in rebellious territories be released from the bonds of ownership and made free people—their own masters. Though the proclamation's initial impact was limited, the order was true to the etymology of emancipation, which comes from a Latin word combining the prefix e-, meaning "away," and mancipare, meaning "to transfer ownership of.”

Examples of emancipation in a Sentence

a book discussing the role that the emancipation of slaves played in the nation's history
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The film, which will shoot in the third quarter of 2025, explores the inner world of a girl living in Tirana, and her thoughts on women’s emancipation and empowerment in Albania’s patriarchal society. Leo Barraclough, Variety, 14 Feb. 2025 Insofar as that description applies to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, early indications suggest that mainstream Democrats welcome their emancipation. Noah Rothman, National Review, 23 Jan. 2025 America resisted thinking about emancipation as a beginning. Chadd Scott, Forbes, 5 Sep. 2024 During Reconstruction, the era immediately following the Civil War and emancipation, Congress was working to protect the rights of African Americans especially in states that had recently ended slavery. Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 22 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for emancipation

Word History

First Known Use

1631, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of emancipation was in 1631

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Cite this Entry

“Emancipation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emancipation. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.

Medical Definition

emancipation

noun
eman·​ci·​pa·​tion i-ˌman(t)-sə-ˈpā-shən How to pronounce emancipation (audio)
: gradual separation of an original homogeneous embryo into fields with different specific potentialities for development

Legal Definition

emancipation

noun
eman·​ci·​pa·​tion i-ˌman-sə-ˈpā-shən How to pronounce emancipation (audio)
: the act or process of emancipating

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