emancipation

noun

eman·ci·pa·tion i-ˌman(t)-sə-ˈpā-shən

: the act or process of emancipating

emancipationist

i-ˌman(t)-sə-ˈpā-sh(ə-)nist

noun

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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.”

Example Sentences

a book discussing the role that the emancipation of slaves played in the nation's history

Recent Examples on the Web The book was first published in 1862, in Russian, and the action takes place a few years earlier, in 1859, on the eve of the emancipation of the serfs and amid furious debates over the future of Russia.

Keith Gessen, The New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2022 Juneteenth, the holiday commemorating the emancipation of slaves in the U.S., was Sunday, June 19th.

Leada Gore | Lgore@al.com, al, 20 June 2022 The day commemorates the emancipation of slaves in the U.S. Since this year’s holiday falls on a Sunday, the federal government will mark it on Monday, June 20th.

Leada Gore | Lgore@al.com, al, 19 June 2022 The Georgia native and food writer has spent years curating menus for Juneteenth, a federal holiday each June 19th that commemorates the emancipation of African Americans throughout the U.S.

Kayla Stewart, WSJ, 10 June 2022 Collective freedom begins with the emancipation of the individual, a transformational experience that is undergone by anyone who aspires to change agency.

Dan Pontefract, Forbes, 1 May 2022 But with emancipation and the demise of the Confederacy, that capital was wiped out — along with the Southern economy, which took a century to recover.

Washington Post, 4 June 2021 Juneteenth is a celebration of June 19, 1865, the emancipation of all those who had been enslaved in the United States.

Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 24 May 2022 Juneteenth is a celebration of June 19, 1865, the emancipation of all those who had been enslaved in the United States.

Emily Deletter, The Enquirer, 24 May 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'emancipation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.