Macmillan Dictionary

Did you know?

Click any word in a definition or example to find the entry for that word

release

 - definition
 
 
 
Close

What are red words?

90% of the time, speakers of English use just 7,500 words in speech and writing. These words appear in red, and are graded with stars. One-star words are frequent, two-star words are more frequent, and three-star words are the most frequent.

Close

Thesaurus

The thesaurus of synonyms and related words is fully integrated into the dictionary entries. Click on the T button in an entry to review the synonyms and related words for that meaning.

more
noun British English pronunciation: release /rɪˈliːs/ 
Word Forms
Close
singularrelease
pluralreleases
Other entries for this word
 
  1. 1
    [uncountable] the act of letting someone leave a place such as a prison or hospital
    release of:

    The release of Nelson Mandela was watched by millions of people on TV.

    release from:

    He was taken home on his release from hospital.

    secure someone's release:

    The Foreign Office has finally secured her release from prison.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of release
    1. a.
      the act of letting an animal leave the place where you have been keeping it
      Thesaurus entry for this meaning of release
  2. 2
    [uncountable] a situation in which something such as a chemical is spread into the area or atmosphere around it

    We're doing all we can to prevent the release of toxic waste into the oceans.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of release
  3. 3
    [uncountable] the act of making something available
    release of:

    the release of secret government information

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of release
    1. a.
      [countable] a new film, video, or CD that is available for people to see or buy

      The band's latest release is called 'White Clouds'.

      Thesaurus entry for this meaning of release
  6. 6
    [countable/uncountable] an opportunity or permission not to do something

    The weekend was a much-needed release from work.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of release

phrase

This is the British English definition of release. View American English definition of release.

Change your default dictionary and thesaurus to American English.

 

charticle

a news article that consists of a chart … and only has a small amount of text

BuzzWord Article

Word of the Day

tweet

the short high sound that a small bird makes

Open Dictionary

never event

an event that should never occur in a healthcare setting …

add a word

Blog

A must for anyone with an interest in the changing face of language. The Macmillan Dictionary blog explores English as it is spoken around the world today.

global English and language change from our blog