Paleisti

Paleisti is a Lithuanian verb with several related meanings tied to letting something go or starting a process. The core sense is to release or set free from restraint or captivity, to loosen or unbind, and to permit something to act or proceed. It can describe freeing a person or animal, opening a binding, or removing a physical constraint. Metaphorically, it can denote letting ideas, events, or actions go ahead.

In addition to its freeing sense, paleisti is widely used in technical and everyday contexts to mean starting or launching something. For example, paleisti variklį means to start an engine, paleisti programą means to run or launch a computer program, and paleisti procesą refers to starting a process or operation. The verb is transitive, typically taking a concrete object in the accusative case (for instance, šunį, programą, variklį) and is often used with directions or adverbs indicating the action’s completion or execution.

The aspect of paleisti is usually perfective when describing a single act of starting or releasing, and its imperfective forms describe ongoing or repeated actions, such as regularly starting a device or repeatedly releasing something.

Paleisti appears in both literal and figurative phrases, ranging from releasing a dog from a leash to initiating a project or system. It is a common, flexible verb in Lithuanian, used across formal, informal, technical, and legal contexts.