rilasciare

Rilasciare is an Italian verb meaning “to release,” “to let go,” or “to set free.” It belongs to the second conjugation (-ere) and is used in both literal and figurative contexts. In its literal sense, rilasciare describes the act of freeing a person, animal, or object from confinement, as in “la polizia ha rilasciato i prigionieri” (the police released the prisoners). The verb also applies to the discharge of substances, for example “rilasciare un gas” (to release a gas).

In figurative usage, rilasciare can refer to making information public, such as “rilasciare una dichiarazione” (to issue a statement) or “rilasciare un comunicato stampa” (to release a press release). The term is common in journalism, public relations, and corporate communication.

In specialized fields, rilasciare appears with specific meanings. In computer science, it designates the distribution of software or updates, e.g., “rilasciare una nuova versione del programma.” In music, the verb is used for publishing a record or track, “l’artista ha rilasciato il suo ultimo album.” The noun derived from the verb is rilascio, referring to the act or product of releasing.

The etymology traces back to Latin liberare (“to set free”), with the prefix ri- indicating repetition or intensification. Conjugated forms include rilascia, rilasciai, rilasciò, rilasciarono, and participles rilasciato (past participle) and rilasciando (gerund). The verb is regular in its conjugation pattern for second‑conjugation verbs in contemporary Italian.