Standard Lemma guide

liquidation

noun · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˌlɪkwəˈdeɪʃən/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -eɪʃən
  • CMU ARPABET: L IH2 K W IH0 D EY1 SH AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The act of exchange of an asset of lesser liquidity with a more liquid one, such as cash.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The selling of the assets of a business as part of the process of dissolving the business.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • The store is having a liquidation sale: everything must go as they go out of business.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The murder of dehumanized victims.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, euphemistic, uncountable

Examples

  • Near-synonyms: devitalization, fatality; see also Thesaurus:death, Thesaurus:killing

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: devitalization, fatality, death, tomb, celestial transfer, decease, decomposition, defunction, dematerialization, demise, dirt nap, doom, exit, expiration, liquidation, mortality, passing, quietus, repose, sleep of the just, sunset, the big sleep, crash, downfall, fall, (the) bane, (the) end, killing

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

the murder of a competitor

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: elimination

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: murder, slaying, execution

5

noun

Meaning 5

termination of a business operation by using its assets to discharge its liabilities

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: settlement

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: termination, ending, conclusion

Narrower terms: viatical settlement, viaticus settlement

6

noun

Meaning 6

the act of exterminating

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: extermination

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: destruction, devastation

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English liquidate Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *-Hō Proto-Indo-European *-tiHō Proto-Italic *-tiō Latin -tiō Latin -ātiōlbor. Old French -ationbor. Middle English -acioun English -ation English -ion English liquidation From liquidate + -ion.

Across languages

Translations

33 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: ликвидация (likvidacija) — process of converting into cash
  • Finnish: likvidointi — process of converting into cash
  • Greek: εκκαθάριση (ekkathárisi) — process of converting into cash
  • Indonesian: pencairan — process of converting into cash
  • Japanese: 流動化 (ryūdōka) — process of converting into cash
  • Polish: spieniężenie — process of converting into cash
  • Polish: likwidacja — process of converting into cash
  • Polish: upłynnienie — process of converting into cash
  • Polish: sprzedanie — process of converting into cash
  • Polish: zbycie — process of converting into cash
  • Turkish: tasfiye — process of converting into cash
  • Afrikaans: likwidasie — selling a business’s assets
  • Arabic: تَصْفِية (taṣfiya) — selling a business’s assets
  • Bulgarian: ликвидация (likvidacija) — selling a business’s assets
  • Czech: likvidace — selling a business’s assets
  • Dutch: vereffening — selling a business’s assets
  • Dutch: liquidatie — selling a business’s assets
  • French: liquidation — selling a business’s assets
  • German: Abwicklung — selling a business’s assets
  • German: Liquidation — selling a business’s assets
  • Indonesian: likuidasi — selling a business’s assets
  • Italian: liquidazione — selling a business’s assets
  • Norwegian: likvidasjon — selling a business’s assets
  • Polish: likwidacja — selling a business’s assets
  • Russian: ликвида́ция (likvidácija) — selling a business’s assets
  • Spanish: liquidación — selling a business’s assets
  • Swedish: likvidation — selling a business’s assets
  • Turkish: tasfiye — selling a business’s assets
  • Ukrainian: ліквіда́ція (likvidácija) — selling a business’s assets
  • Bulgarian: ликвидация (likvidacija) — murder of dehumanized victims
  • Danish: likvidering — murder of dehumanized victims
  • Polish: likwidacja — murder of dehumanized victims
  • Ukrainian: ліквіда́ція (likvidácija) — murder of dehumanized victims
Real reading context

liquidation in complete knowledge articles

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