lib·er·ate (l?b??-r?t?)tr.v. lib·er·at·ed, lib·er·at·ing, lib·er·ates 1. To set free, as from oppression, confinement, or foreign control.2. Chemistry To release (a gas, for example) from combination.3. Slang To obtain by illegal or stealthy action: tried to sell appliances that were liberated during the riot.[Latin l?ber?re, l?ber?t-, from l?ber, free; see leudh- in Indo-European roots.]lib?er·at?ing·ly adv.lib?er·a?tor n.American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.liberate (?l?b??re?t) vb (tr) 1. to give liberty to; make free2. (Chemistry) to release (something, esp a gas) from chemical combination during a chemical reaction3. (Military) to release from occupation or subjugation by a foreign power4. to free from social prejudices or injustices5. euphemistic or facetious to steal ?liber?ator nCollins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014lib?er?ate (?l?b ??re?t) v.t. -at?ed, -at?ing. 1. to set free, as from imprisonment. 2. to free (a nation or area) from control by a foreign or oppressive government. 3. to free (a group or individual) from social or economic constraints or discrimination, esp. arising from traditional role expectations or bias. 4. to disengage; set free from combination, as a gas. 5. Informal. to steal or take over illegally: The prisoners liberated a consignment of chocolates. [1615?25;