different between relieve vs liberate

English

Etymology

From Old French relever, specifically from the conjugated forms such as (jeo) relieve (“I lift up”), and its source, Latin relevo (“to lift up, lighten, relieve, alleviate”), combined form of re- (“back”) + levo (“to lift”). Compare levant, levity, etc.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /???li?v/
• Rhymes: -i?v

Verb

relieve (third-person singular simple present relieves, present participle relieving, simple past and past participle relieved)

1. (transitive) To ease (a person, person's thoughts etc.) from mental distress; to stop (someone) feeling anxious or worried, to alleviate the distress of. [from 14th c.]
2. (transitive) To ease (someone, a part of the body etc.) or give relief from physical pain or discomfort. [from 14th c.]
3. (transitive) To alleviate (pain, distress, mental discomfort etc.). [from 14th c.]
4. (transitive) To provide comfort or assistance to (someone in need, especially in poverty). [from 14th c.]
5. (obsolete) To lift up; to raise again. [15th-17th c.]
6. (now rare) To raise (someone) out of danger or from (a specified difficulty etc.). [from 15th c.]
7. (law) To free (someone) from debt or legal obligations; to give legal relief to. [from 15th c.]

   This shall not relieve either Party of any obligations.

8. To bring military help to (a besieged town); to lift the siege on. [from 16th c.]
9. To release (someone) from or of a difficulty, unwanted task, responsibility etc. [from 16th c.]
10. (military, job) To free (someone) from their post, task etc. by taking their place. [from 16th c.]
11. (now rare) To make (something) stand out; to make prominent, bring into relief. [from 18th c.]
    • 1819, Lord Byron, Don Juan, III.76:

      The henna should be deeply dyed to make / The skin relieved appear more fairly fair […]

    • 1927, Countee Cullen, From the Dark Tower:

      The night whose sable breast relieves the stark / White stars is no less lovely being dark

12. (reflexive) To go to the toilet; to defecate or urinate. [from 20th c.]

Synonyms

• (to alleviate pain, ease): liss

Derived terms

• relieve oneself

Related terms

Translations

Further reading

• relieve in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• relieve in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /re?ljebe/, [re?lje.??e]

Noun

relieve m (plural relieves)

1. relief (protrusion)

Derived terms

Further reading

• “relieve” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin l?ber?tus, past participle of l?ber? (“to set free, deliver”), from l?ber (“free”); see liberal.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?l?b??e?t/
• Hyphenation: lib?er?ate

Verb

liberate (third-person singular simple present liberates, present participle liberating, simple past and past participle liberated)

1. (transitive) To set free, to make or allow to be free, particularly
   1. To release from slavery: to manumit.
   2. To release from servitude or unjust rule.
   3. To release from restraint or inhibition.
      • 1991 May 12, "Kidnapped!" Jeeves and Wooster, Series 2, Episode 5:

        Jeeves: Foreign travel often liberates emotions best kept in check, sir. The air of North America is notoriously stimulating in this regard, as witness the regrettable behavior of its inhabitants in 1776.
        B. Wooster: Hm? What happened in 1776, Jeeves?
        Jeeves: I prefer not to dwell on it, if it's convenient to you, sir.

   4. (chemistry) To release from chemical bonds or solutions.

2. (transitive, military, euphemistic) To acquire from an enemy during wartime, used especially of cities, regions, and other population centers.
3. (transitive, euphemistic) To acquire from another by theft or force: to steal, to rob.

Synonyms

• befree, free, set free

Related terms

• liberation
• liberator

Translations

Further reading

• liberate in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• liberate in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams

• beertail, iterable, tierable

Italian

Verb

liberate

1. second-person plural present of liberare
2. second-person plural imperative of liberare

Anagrams

• albereti, bilatere

Latin

Verb

l?ber?te

1. second-person plural present active imperative of l?ber?

Participle

l?ber?te

1. vocative masculine singular of l?ber?tus