liquidate

verb

liq·​ui·​date ˈli-kwə-ˌdāt How to pronounce liquidate (audio)
liquidated; liquidating

transitive verb

1
a(1)
: to determine by agreement or by litigation the precise amount of (indebtedness, damages, or accounts)
(2)
: to determine the liabilities (see liability sense 2) and apportion assets toward discharging the indebtedness of
b
: to settle (a debt) by payment or other settlement
liquidate a loan
2
archaic : to make clear
3
: to do away with especially by killing
was hired to liquidate a certain businessman
4
: to convert (assets) into cash
liquidated his securities

intransitive verb

1
: to liquidate debts, damages, or accounts
2
: to determine liabilities (see liability sense 2) and apportion assets toward discharging indebtedness
liquidation noun

Examples of liquidate in a Sentence

The owners were ordered to liquidate the company and pay their creditors. The company is liquidating its assets. The owners were ordered to liquidate. The film is about a professional killer who's hired to liquidate a powerful businessman.
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.
Accusations started flying, with many crypto observers alleging that $HAWK was a pump-and-dump scheme, or a rug pull — when developers build hype for a crypto project to raise money only to liquidate their position and walk away, with others left holding worthless tokens. Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 5 Dec. 2024 Jones’s assets are now being liquidated, including Infowars, his right-wing conspiracy website. Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 27 Nov. 2024 Jones declared bankruptcy and liquidated his assets after he was ordered to pay nearly $1.5 billion to relatives of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. Dave Collins, Fortune, 26 Nov. 2024 In the spring, residents met with a bankruptcy attorney to discuss future options for how to liquidate the co-op’s assets to solve some of its financial problems, with the only assets being the property’s 63 buildings, according to Wilson. Lizzie Kane, Chicago Tribune, 18 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for liquidate 

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin liquidatus, past participle of liquidare to melt, from Latin liquidus

First Known Use

circa 1575, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a(1)

Time Traveler
The first known use of liquidate was circa 1575

Dictionary Entries Near liquidate

Cite this Entry

“Liquidate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/liquidate. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

liquidate

verb
liq·​ui·​date ˈlik-wə-ˌdāt How to pronounce liquidate (audio)
liquidated; liquidating
1
: pay off sense 1
liquidate a debt
2
: to put an end to : do away with
liquidation noun

Legal Definition

liquidate

verb
liq·​ui·​date ˈli-kwə-ˌdāt How to pronounce liquidate (audio)
liquidated; liquidating

transitive verb

1
: to determine by agreement or litigation the precise amount of
also : to settle (a debt) by payment or other adjustment
2
a
: to determine the liabilities and apportion the assets of especially in bankruptcy or dissolution
liquidate a corporation
compare bankruptcy
b
: to convert (as assets) into cash
liquidate an estate

intransitive verb

: to liquidate something (as a corporation)
liquidation noun

More from Merriam-Webster on liquidate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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