Release
/rɪˈliːs/noun
To allow something to move, go free, or be made available.
Did you know?“Release” comes through Old French from Latin roots meaning “to loosen again,” and that same ancient idea of undoing a binding sits behind words like “solve” and “dissolve.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*leu-
“to loosen, split apart, untie”
Latin
Latin
solvere
“to loosen, unbind, release, pay off”
Late Latin
Latin
relaxare
“to loosen, make less tense, relax”
Old French
Old French
releser
“to release, let go, give up”
Middle English
English
relesen
“to let go, relinquish, free”
Modern English
English
release
“to set free, let go, or make available”