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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
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From the joy of reunion to the despair of never finding loved ones, from the jubilation surrounding emancipation to the failures of Reconstruction, these books capture the mixed legacies of the post-Civil War era in dramatic and compelling ways.
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Barbara Spindel, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Mar. 2025
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
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Barbara Spindel, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Mar. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for emancipation
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Cite this Entry
“Emancipation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emancipation. Accessed 24 Mar. 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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