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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
The drama follows a woman born into modest circumstances in Sicily in 1900, who goes on to navigate life in a convent, and then carves herself out a place in aristocratic household achieving happiness and emancipation in the process.
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Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 7 May 2025
The story of Freedman's Village connects Arlington to the national history of slavery and emancipation.
—Doug Melville, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
Lawler: Long before Lord Dunmore promised emancipation to those enslaved, those in bondage already were fleeing to British lines.
—Ari Daniel, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Apr. 2025
But Brendle took it on as a vehicle to tell a more global story of female emancipation, empowerment, and rights.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 15 Apr. 2025
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Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 7 May 2025
The story of Freedman's Village connects Arlington to the national history of slavery and emancipation.
—Doug Melville, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
Lawler: Long before Lord Dunmore promised emancipation to those enslaved, those in bondage already were fleeing to British lines.
—Ari Daniel, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Apr. 2025
But Brendle took it on as a vehicle to tell a more global story of female emancipation, empowerment, and rights.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 15 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for emancipation
Cite this Entry
“Emancipation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emancipation. Accessed 5 Jun. 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
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