release
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GC: n

S: EUR-Lex (last access: 14 November 2025); LII (last access: 14 November 2025).

N: 1. c. 1300, relēsen, “withdraw, revoke (a decree, etc.), cancel, lift; remit,” from Old French relaissier, relesser “relinquish, quit, let go, leave behind, abandon, acquit,” variant of relacher “release, relax,” from Latin relaxare “loosen, stretch out.” This is from re- “back” (see re-) + laxare “loosen” (from PIE root *sleg- “be slack, be languid”). Latin relaxare also is the source of Spanish relajar, Italian relassare, and English relax, and it is the uncle of relish.

The meaning “alleviate, ease” is mid-14c., as is sense of “set free from (duty, etc.); exonerate.” It is attested from late 14c. as “grant remission, forgive; set free from imprisonment, military service, etc.” Also “give up, relinquish, surrender.” In law, c. 1400, “to grant a release of property.”In reference to press reports, “make available,” attested from 1904; of motion pictures from 1912; of music recordings by 1962. As a euphemism for “dismiss, fire from a job” it is attested in American English by 1904. Related: Released; releasing.

2. An instrument effecting a legal release.

3. Law: release, release of debt, release from debt.

  • Depending on field and context, the Spanish term quita is also translated into English as debt relief, creditor haircut, debt write-down, discharge, acquittance, and partial acquittance. However and stricto sensu, the Spanish terms quita, condonación and cancelación de deuda are not exactly the same.

4. Law of Obligations (civil law): release.

  • Release is an “[a]greement in which a creditor renounces all or part of the debt owed.” The creditor is not obliged to enforce his or her rights; he or she may even renounce them. However, unlike renunciation, which is a unilateral juridical act, release is a bilateral juridical act; the debtor must agree to be discharged. Release is a contract the purpose of which is to extinguish a debt.

S: 1. Etymonline (last access: 14 November 2025). 2. MW (last access: 14 November 2025). 3. TERMIUM PLUS (last access: 14 November 2025); Zesauro (last access: 14 November 2025); DBEE, p. 809; DES, p. 254; IATE (last access: 15 November 2025); FCB. 4. TERMIUM PLUS (last access: 14 November 2025).

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CR: condonation, credit, loan.