emancipated
ee-MAN-sih-pay-tid
/ɪˈmænsɪpeɪtɪd/
Free from legal, social, or political restrictions; liberated.
Strongly associated with the legal release from slavery or the parental control of a minor.
The story behind the word. In Roman law, 'emancipatio' was the process of releasing a son from the 'hand' (power) of his father. It literally means 'to take out of the hand'.
Word relationships
- liberated: Liberated is more general; emancipated often implies a formal or legal change in status.
- enslaved: Enslaved means being owned by another person.
Commonly confused with
- manumitted: Manumitted specifically refers to a master freeing a slave; emancipated is broader.
Word family
- emancipation (noun): The fact or process of being set free.
Collocations
- emancipated minor
- emancipated slave
- feel emancipated
Example sentences
- "The Emancipation Proclamation declared that all persons held as slaves were to be set free." History
- "At seventeen, she sought to become a legally emancipated minor to manage her own career." Law
Memory hook
E-man-cipated: The 'man' is no longer 'captured' by the 'hand'. Out of the hand.
When not to use
Too heavy for minor freedoms; don't say you were 'emancipated' from a boring meeting.
Fun facts
- The term is used in modern law for 'emancipated minors' who take on adult responsibilities before age 18.
Explore more words
freedom, uninhibited, Exempt, exonerate, Liberty, autonomous
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