noun
emancipation
ih-man-suh-PAY-shuhn
noun
1
The act of freeing someone from slavery, legal control, or oppressive restriction.
"The Emancipation Proclamation declared enslaved people in Confederate states to be free."
"The movement pushed for the emancipation of women from restrictive laws."
How to Use Emancipation
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishFreedom from being legally owned or controlled by someone else, most famously used of the abolition of slavery.
Common pairings
emancipation of slaves
women's emancipation
fight for emancipation
Word Forms
emancipations plural
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The _____ Proclamation declared enslaved people in Confederate states to be free.
Etymology
From Latin emancipatio, "a releasing from ownership" — historically the legal act of freeing a son or slave from a father's or owner's authority.