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
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
After emancipation, reparations were self-organized through grassroots organizations such as the Ex-Slave Mutual Relief, Bounty, and Pension Association and federal agencies such as the Freedmen’s Bureau, yet neither lasted long.
—Michela Moscufo, NBC News, 12 Feb. 2025
The tragic story of the young seamstress Frieda Keller sparks a debate about shame, ethics and emancipation.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 5 Sep. 2024
After emancipation and Reconstruction, which brought the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments — abolishing slavery, granting citizenship, and extending voting rights to Black men — a backlash emerged in Jim Crow laws.
—Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 8 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for emancipation
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.
Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 22 Feb. 2025
After emancipation, reparations were self-organized through grassroots organizations such as the Ex-Slave Mutual Relief, Bounty, and Pension Association and federal agencies such as the Freedmen’s Bureau, yet neither lasted long.
—Michela Moscufo, NBC News, 12 Feb. 2025
The tragic story of the young seamstress Frieda Keller sparks a debate about shame, ethics and emancipation.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 5 Sep. 2024
After emancipation and Reconstruction, which brought the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments — abolishing slavery, granting citizenship, and extending voting rights to Black men — a backlash emerged in Jim Crow laws.
—Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 8 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for emancipation
Articles Related to emancipation
Cite this Entry
“Emancipation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emancipation. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
emancipation
noun
eman·ci·pa·tion
i-ˌman(t)-sə-ˈpā-shən 
: 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
: the act or process of emancipating
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share