Délivrez

Délivrez is a form of the French verb délivrer, which means to free, to liberate, or to deliver. In ordinary usage, the verb covers both the sense of rescuing someone from danger or oppression and the sense of handing over or supplying something, such as a document or goods.

Etymology and background: délivrer comes from Latin liberare, meaning to free. It entered Old French with the idea of freeing or releasing, and a prefix related to “de-” contributed to the sense of removing constraint. Over time, it also acquired specialized senses related to issuing or providing something to someone.

Common meanings and contexts:

- To free or liberate someone from danger, oppression, or constraints, e.g., delivering a captive, delivering a person from bondage, or delivering a city from siege.

- To rescue or relieve someone from a burden, fear, or error, including moral or spiritual relief.

- To issue, provide, or deliver a document, order, or item, as in délivrer a passport, a permit, or an attestation.

- In religious or literary contexts, to deliver someone from sin or misfortune, often translated as deliverance.

Grammatical notes: délivrez is the second-person plural present indicative form (vous délivrez) and also the imperative form used to address a group: Délivrez! The verb’s past participle is délivré, with feminine and plural agreement as délivrée, délivrés, or délivrées, depending on context.

Related terms: the noun délivrance refers to liberation or deliverance, while délivré as an adjective describes someone who has been freed or something that has been delivered or issued. The term is common in legal, administrative, religious, and literary contexts.