emancipation
n. uncountablen. the process of being set free from legal, social, or political restrictions. It is often used when talking about groups of people gaining their rights or a young person becoming independent from their parents.
n. the act or process of being set free from legal, social, or political constraints. Often refers to the liberation of enslaved people or the granting of full legal rights to a previously marginalized group.
The emancipation of the slaves changed the country forever.
The movement fought for the political emancipation of women, focusing primarily on the right to vote and own property.
While legal emancipation granted them formal freedom, the lack of economic resources meant that true social integration remained an elusive goal for several generations.
1630, from French émancipation, from Latin ēmancipātiō. In the US, with reference to anti-slavery, abolitionism, first used in 1785 by Charles Godfrey Leland. In Britain, with reference to easing of restrictions on Catholics, in 19th century.
Often paired with the preposition 'of' to indicate the group being freed.