vapauttaa

Vapauttaa is a Finnish verb meaning to liberate, release, or set free. It refers to making someone or something free from captivity, oppression, or constraint. The sense can be literal, such as freeing a prisoner, or figurative, such as lifting restrictions, unfreezing assets, or unleashing energy or potential.

Etymology: The verb is formed from the adjective vapaa, meaning free, with the causative suffix -ttaa, producing a verb that means “to cause to be free.” The related intransitive verb vapautua means “to become free” or “to gain freedom.” The noun form vapaus means freedom.

Usage: Vapauttaa is transitive and used with a direct object, for example: vapauttaa vangin (to free the prisoner), vapauttaa varoja (to release funds), vapauttaa henkilön velvoitteista (to release a person from obligations). In legal or political contexts it can denote emancipation or lifting of restrictions. The passive form vapautettiin is common in reporting or narration: vangit vapautettiin (the prisoners were freed). In metaphorical contexts it can describe releasing energy, potential, or creativity: vapauttaa energiaa, vapauttaa potentiaalia.

See also: Vapautua, the intransitive opposite meaning “to become free”; vapaa, meaning free as an adjective; vapaus, the noun for freedom.