tr.v., -leased, -leas·ing, -leas·es.

1. To set free from confinement, restraint, or bondage: released the prisoners.
2. To free from something that binds, fastens, or holds back; let go: released the balloons; released a flood of questions.
3. To dismiss, as from a job.
4. To relieve of debt or obligation.
5. To relieve of care and suffering.
6. 1. To issue for performance, sale, publication, or distribution.
   2. To make known or available.
7. To relinquish (a right or claim).

n.

1. A deliverance or liberation, as from confinement, restraint, or suffering.
2. An authoritative discharge, as from an obligation or from prison.
3. An unfastening or letting go of something caught or held fast.
4. A device or catch for locking or releasing a mechanism.
5. 1. The act or an instance of issuing something for publication, use, or distribution.
   2. Something thus released: a new release of a software program.
   3. The condition of being available, in use, or in publication: a movie in wide release.
6. Law.
   1. Relinquishment to another of a right, title, or claim.
   2. The document authorizing such relinquishment.
7. Linguistics. The movement of a vocal organ or organs so as to end the closure of a stop consonant.

[Middle English relesen, from Old French relaissier, alteration of relacher, from Latin relaxāre. See relax.]

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1. Legal authorization by a person to allow someone else to use that person's likeness, name, writings, or other property for advertising, film copy, trade or marketing purposes, or any other stated purpose in exchange for remuneration of some kind.

2. Agreement by the proposed seller of creative material or a creative concept not to hold the proposed buyer responsible for payment should the material be unusable.

3. News item, such as a change of personnel in a company or a fund raising event sponsored by a community service organization, that has been written by the company or organization and delivered to the media to be inserted into their publications or broadcasts for public relations purposes; more properly called a publicity release or a press release.

Written notification discharging a claim by a creditor. A release of lien discharges secured property from a lien, indicating that the borrower has paid off the loan or substituted other collateral. A release clause in a mortgage or deed of trust stipulates that the property may be released from a mortgage lien if the buyer pays off the mortgage, or certain other conditions are met. A release of mortgage is recorded in public land records. See also Satisfaction of Mortgage.

verb

1. To set at liberty: discharge, emancipate, free, liberate, loose, manumit. Slang spring. Idioms: let loose. See free/unfree.
2. To discharge material, as vapor or fumes, usually suddenly and violently: emit, give, give forth, give off, give out, issue, let off, let out, send forth, throw off, vent. See free/unfree, move/halt.
3. To free from or cast out something objectionable or undesirable: clear, disburden, disembarrass, disencumber, relieve, rid, shake off, throw off, unburden. Slang shake. See keep/release.
4. To end the employment or service of: cashier, discharge, dismiss, drop, terminate. Informal ax, fire, pink-slip. Slang boot¹, bounce, can, sack¹. Idioms: give someone his or her walking papers, give someone the ax, give someone the gate, give someone the pink slip, let go, show someone the door. See keep/release.

n

Definition: delivery; dispensation
Antonyms: check, collection, detention, gathering, hold

v

Definition: let go, let out
Antonyms: collect, detain, gather, hold, imprison, keep, maintain

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v

To give up as a legal claim; to discharge or relinquish a right.

n. in air armament, the intentional separation of a free-fall aircraft store, from its suspension equipment, for purposes of employment of the store.

See the Introduction, Abbreviations and Pronunciation for further details.

This entry contains information applicable to United States law only.

A contractual agreement by which one individual assents to relinquish a claim or right under the law to another individual against whom such claim or right is enforceable.

The right or claim given up in a release ordinarily involves contracts or torts. A general release encompasses all claims that are in existence between the parties and are within their contemplation when the release is executed. A specific release is generally limited to the particular claims specified therein.

No particular form or language is required for a release, provided the contract is complete and clearly indicates the releasor's intention. In the absence of a specific statutory provision, releases need not be in writing.

In order for it to take effect, a release must be supported by adequate consideration. Provided something of value is received, the consideration will be deemed adequate. The consideration can take various forms — such as payment to an employee for time lost due to an injury, in exchange for a release of the employee's damage claim; or repossession of a particular item in exchange for the release or discharge of a debt.

Validity

Since it is a contract, a release is subject to the same validity requirements as a contract. A voluntary release that is obtained in exchange for valuable consideration from an individual who is capable of totally understanding its legal effect is valid. An individual who signs a release has the obligation to read its contents prior to executing it; the person cannot have the release set aside because he or she has not become familiar with its contents. A release is not void merely because the bargain was unwise.

In situations where a release has been executed as a result of a mutual mistake that significantly affects the parties' rights, it can be set aside. In order to ascertain whether a release was executed under mutual mistake, all of the circumstances regarding the signing of the release must be taken into consideration, including the sum paid for release and whether the issue of liability was in dispute at the time the settlement was made.

An innocent misrepresentation that is relied upon by the releasor justifies setting aside a release induced by it. For example, by relying on a medical diagnosis for an injury sustained, an individual might sign a release in exchange for a particular sum of money. If, subsequently, the individual discovers that the injury is more serious than was indicated by the initial diagnosis, the release can be set aside, since the claims were released based on misrepresentation.

Fraudulent representations made by the releasee and relied on by the individual who gives up the claim for injury will also invalidate a release.

Torts

Under the common law, when an individual who had been injured by the wrongful acts of two or more persons acting in concert — known as joint tortfeasors — executed a release to one of the defendants, the releasor was regarded as having relinquished the claim against all the defendants, unless rights against them were clearly and specifically reserved in the release.

This rule proved to be unfair, however, because it forced the injured party to give up an entire claim against all tortfeasors without necessarily being totally compensated. Few jurisdictions still apply this rule. Most states currently permit a plaintiff to continue an action against the remaining joint tortfeasors after one of them has been released from liability unless the plaintiff has made an intentional surrender of the claim or has been totally compensated. An agreement of this type is called a covenant not to sue — the plaintiff does not give up the lawsuit but agrees not to enforce the claim against a particular joint tortfeasor although the others are still liable.

(DOD, NATO) In air armament, the intentional separation of a free-fall aircraft store, from its suspension equipment, for purposes of employment of the store.

IN BRIEF: To set free or relieve.

The release of atomic energy has not created a new problem. It has merely made more urgent the necessity of solving an existing one. — Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

Dansk (Danish)
v. tr. - løslade, frigive, udsende, udskrive
n. - løsladelse, frigivelse, pressemeddelelse, udsendelse

idioms:

• be on (general) release    alment tilgængelig
• release number    udgivelsesnummer

Nederlands (Dutch)
loslaten, vrijlaten, losmaken, uitbrengen, ontheffen, ontslaan, openbaar maken, overdragen (eigendom), ontlading, vrijlating, bevrijding, ontheffing, ontslag, uitgebrachte plaat/cd etc., het uitbrengen (van plaat/cd etc.), overdracht (eigendom), bekendmaking (b.v. persbericht), wijze van afronden van klank (muziek/stem), opnieuw leasen in de bioscoop (in omloop)

Français (French)
v. tr. - libérer, dégager, relâcher, (fig) dégager qn de, (Tech) faire jouer, (Phot) déclencher, (Aut) desserrer, décocher (une flèche), (Mil) larguer, lancer (un missile), lâcher (qch), (Journ) communiquer, publier, (Cin, Vidéo, Mus) faire sortir, (gén, Jur) céder, remettre, (Méd) libérer (un médicament)
n. - libération, (fig) soulagement, (Tech, Ind) relâchement, dégagement, déversement, (Mil) lancement, largage, (Tech) déclenchement, manette, (Journ) communiqué, (Cin, Vidéo) sortie, (Cin, Vidéo) nouveauté, (Transp) sortie, décharge

idioms:

• be on general release    (Cin) passer dans toutes les grandes salles de cinéma (film)
• release number    numéro de sortie

Deutsch (German)
n. - Veröffentlichung, Freisetzung, Auslöser, Befreiung, Freilassung
v. - entlassen, freilassen, befreien, losmachen, herausgeben, veröffentlichen, freisetzen, entbinden

idioms:

• be on general release    in die Kinos kommen
• release number    Entlassungsnummer

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (απ)ελευθέρωση, αποδέσμευση, απαλλαγή, απόλυση, αποφυλάκιση, διακόπτης, ανακοίνωση, ανακοινωθέν, κυκλοφορία, διάθεση (σε κοινό), (φυσ.) έκλυση, (νομ.) μεταβίβαση, εκχώρηση
v. - (απ)ελευθερώνω, απαλλάσσω, ανακοινώνω (ειδήσεις), διαθέτω, κυκλοφορώ, επιτρέπω δημοσίευση, απεμπλέκω, αποσυμπλέκω, απολύω, αποφυλακίζω, χαλαρώνω, λασκάρω

idioms:

• be on (general) release    βρίσκομαι σε αποφυλάκιση υπό όρους
• release number    (Η/Υ) αριθμός εκδόσεως προγράμματος

Italiano (Italian)
lasciare, allentare, rilasciare, pubblicare, esonerare, scarico, esonero, liberazione, riduzione del personale, scarcerazione

idioms:

• be on (general) release    essere in distribuzione generale

Português (Portuguese)
n. - comunicado (m), libertação (f)
v. - libertar, divulgar, desobrigar

idioms:

• be on (general) release    estar liberado de alguma obrigação

Русский (Russian)
освободить, отпустить, выпустить, освобождение, ослабление, разъединение, выпуск

idioms:

• be on (general) release    в (широком) прокате (о фильме)

Español (Spanish)
v. tr. - soltar, dejar salir, lanzar, disparar, desatar, liberar, publicar, estrenar, eximir
n. - descarga, salida, estreno, alivio, lanzamiento, disparo, exención, liberación, reducción de personal, excarcelación, puesta en libertad, anuncio

idioms:

• be on general release    estar en todos los cines, estar en todas las disquerías
• release number    número de tirada, número de fabricación

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - frisläppning, befrielse, publicering, överlåtelsehandling
v. - släppa fri, befria, publicera

中文（简体） (Chinese (Simplified))
释放, 解放, 发射, 投掷, 放松, 松开, 豁免, 赦免, 发行, 发表

idioms:

• be on (general) release    被大赦
• release number    解放号码

中文（繁體） (Chinese (Traditional))
v. tr. - 釋放, 解放, 發射, 投擲, 放鬆, 鬆開, 豁免
n. - 釋放, 解放, 赦免, 豁免, 發行, 發表

idioms:

• be on (general) release    被大赦
• release number    解放號碼

한국어 (Korean)
v. tr. - 풀어놓다, 놓아주다
n. - 해방, 발사, 발표

idioms:

• be on (general) release    개방된, 공개된, 발행된

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - 放す, 解放する, 釈放する, 免れさせる, 解除する, 放棄する, 公開する, 放出する
n. - 解放, 発射, ゆるめ装置, 放出, 免除認可書, 釈放, 免除, 棄権, 譲渡, リリース

idioms:

• be on (general) release    どの映画館でも上映される

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) اطلاق سراح (فعل) يطلق سراح, يبعث, يعتق, يتخلى عن إطلاق سراح عام‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. tr. - ‮שחרר, התיר לפרסום, הוציא לשוק (תקליט), פטר‬
n. - ‮הודעה לעיתונות, שחרור, פטור, הוצאה לחופשי, התרה, פרסום, כתב-שחרור‬

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new releases	press releases