liquidate
UK: /ˈlɪk.wɪ.deɪt/ | US: /ˈlɪk.wə.deɪt/
vt. 1. To wind up the affairs of a business or estate by disposing of assets.
vt. 2. To eliminate or kill, especially as a political or criminal act.
vt. 3. To settle or pay off a debt.
liquidate = liquid<fluid> + ate<verb suffix>
- liquid (from Latin liquidus, meaning "fluid, clear") → Retains the core idea of flow or clarity, extended metaphorically to financial "liquidity" (convertibility to cash).
- ate (Latin-derived verb suffix) → Indicates action, turning the noun into a verb ("to make liquid").
Etymology Origin:
The term emerged in 16th-century commercial Latin (liquidare, "to melt or clarify"), reflecting the process of dissolving assets into cash. By the 19th century, it gained darker connotations (e.g., "eliminate") in political contexts, likening physical eradication to financial dissolution.
The company was forced to liquidate its assets to repay creditors.
The dictator ordered his rivals to be liquidated.
She liquidated her investments to buy a house.
The estate will be liquidated according to the will.
The gang liquidated evidence after the robbery.