release
Definitions
To set someone or something free; to let go of something held
释放，放开；松开
To make a film, record, book, or product available to the public
发行，发布，推出
To make information or a statement public
公布，发表（信息、声明）
To let a gas, substance, or energy escape or flow out
排放，释出（气体、物质、能量）
The act of setting free or letting go
释放，放开
A film, record, or product newly made available; the act of issuing it
新发行的作品；发行（物）
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedre- (back) + lease (from Latin laxāre, loosen) = 'loosen back, let go.' It is the same word as relax, but worn down through Old French relaisser before reaching English — relax and release are doublets. The core is one hand letting go: free a prisoner, let go of a button, let a film 'go out' to the public (release it), put out a statement, or let a gas escape.
Root lax still carries 6 more wordsWhy It Means This
Every sense of release is the same gesture — loosening your grip so something goes out into the world. Hold a bird, then open your hand: that is the literal release. The 'publish/issue' sense is the metaphor that made the word famous: a studio has been gripping a finished film; releasing it means letting it go to audiences. A press release lets information go; an engine releases exhaust; a deal releases someone from an obligation. If you can picture a hand opening, you have the meaning.
Usage Guide
Both verb and noun, same spelling and stress (re-LEASE). Common collocations: release a film/album/report, release a prisoner, release information, a press release, a new release. Don't confuse with lease /liːs/ (to rent) — release ends in a /s/ sound too but means 'let go,' not 'rent.'
Example Sentences
- 1.
The prisoners were released after serving ten years.
- 2.
The band will release their new album next Friday.
- 3.
The company released a statement apologizing to customers.
- 4.
Burning coal releases large amounts of carbon dioxide.
- 5.
The film's release was delayed until the summer.
Easily Confused
release vs lease — both come from laxāre and both end in a soft sound, but lease /liːs/ means to rent out (a flat, a car), while release /rɪˈliːs/ means to set free or make public. You lease an apartment for a year; you release a movie to theaters.
Synonym Comparison
- release — let go / set free / make public; widest range: release a prisoner, an album, a gas
- free — set loose from confinement or control, more general and emotional: free the captives
- issue — formally put out (documents, statements, currency): issue a passport
- launch — bring a new product to market with a push: launch a phone
- emit — let out (light, sound, gas), technical: emit radiation