The event of setting (someone or something) free (e.g. hostages, slaves, prisoners, caged animals, hooked or stuck mechanisms).
release — Definition and meaning
• The distribution, either public or private, of an initial or new and upgraded version of a computer software product.
• Anything recently released or made available (as for sale).
• That which is released, untied or let go.
• The giving up of a claim, especially a debt.
• Liberation from pain or suffering.
• The process by which a chemical substance is set free.
• The act or manner of ending a sound.
• In the block system, a printed card conveying information and instructions to be used at intermediate sidings without telegraphic stations.
• A device adapted to hold or release a device or mechanism as required. A catch on a motor-starting rheostat, which automatically releases the rheostat arm and so stops the motor in case of a break in the field circuit. The catch on an electromagnetic circuit breaker for a motor, triggered in the event of an overload. The lever or button on a camera that opens the shutter to allow a photograph to be taken.
• A catch on a motor-starting rheostat, which automatically releases the rheostat arm and so stops the motor in case of a break in the field circuit.
• The catch on an electromagnetic circuit breaker for a motor, triggered in the event of an overload.
• The lever or button on a camera that opens the shutter to allow a photograph to be taken.
• Orgasm.
• Discharged semen
• A kind of bridge used in jazz music.
(Verb) To let go of; to cease to hold or contain.
• To make available to the public.
• To free or liberate; to set free.
• To discharge.
• To hang up.
• To let go, quit (a legal claim); to discharge or relinquish a right to (lands or buildings) by conveying to another who has some right or estate in possession.
• To loosen; to relax; to remove the obligation of.
• To set up; to provide with a goalscoring opportunity.
• To set free a chemical substance.
• To launch; to come out; to become available.
(Verb) To lease again; to grant a new lease of; to let back.
The importance of release
release appears in U.S. legal practice across multiple practice areas. Knowing what it means — and when it applies — can determine the outcome of motions, filings, and negotiations. For non-lawyers, the value of looking up a precise definition is that legal terms often carry meanings that differ from everyday usage; relying on the common meaning can lead to costly missteps.
How release is applied
In practice, release is invoked when parties, judges, or attorneys need to identify the legal status of an issue, the rights of those involved, or the procedural step required next. The definition shown above is sourced from Wiktionary , which is widely cited in U.S. legal practice. Because U.S. law is jurisdictionally layered — federal, state, and sometimes local — the precise application of the term can vary by court, so check the controlling authority for your specific case.