vapautuneet

Vapautuneet is a Finnish adjective and past participle form meaning liberated or freed. It describes something or someone that has gained freedom or has been released from confinement, oppression, or constraint. The term is derived from the noun vapaus (freedom) and the verbs vapautua (to become free) and vapauttaa (to liberate). In everyday Finnish, vapautuneet is most often used with plural nouns, for example vapautuneet vangit (the freed prisoners).

Grammatically, vapautuneet is the plural form of the past participle and functions as an adjective that agrees with the noun in number. The corresponding singular forms are vapautunut (singular, “freed” or “to have become free”) and vapautettu (singular passive past participle of vapauttaa). The nuance can differ depending on whether the freeing action is described as completed (vapautettu or vapautunut) or as a state resulting from freedom (vapautuneet).

Usage: Vapautuneet is common in historical or news contexts to describe people freed from detention, oppression, or danger, as well as metaphorical freedom, such as restrictions being lifted. It is less common as a standalone noun and more often functions to modify a noun (for example, vapautuneet vangit, “the liberated prisoners”).

See also: vapauttaa, vapautuminen, vapauttaminen, vapaus.