liberate
/ˈlɪbəɹeɪt/verb
To release someone or something from control, captivity, or restriction.
Example sentences
- “The activists worked to liberate the animals from the testing facility.”
- “Allied troops liberated the city in the spring of 1945.”
Often ironic in casual speech: to 'liberate' office supplies is to steal them. The serious sense belongs to armies and movements.