liquidate
li·quid·ate/ˈlɪkwəˌdeɪt/verb
liquidate is spelled L-I-Q-U-I-D-A-T-E: 9 letters and 3 syllables (li·quid·ate). It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 36,998th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, liquidate means “To make (a sound) less harsh” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in liquidate?
| Letters | 9: L-I-Q-U-I-D-A-T-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: li·quid·ate |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 36,998th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is liquidate?
Liquidate appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 36,998th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce liquidate?
- UK /ˈlɪkwɪdeɪt/
- US /ˈlɪkwəˌdeɪt/
Liquidate has 3 syllables, split li·quid·ate in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-liquidate.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of liquidate
- liquidates present, singular, he/she/it
- liquidating participle, present
- liquidated participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does liquidate mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
archaicrareSynonym of liquefy (“to make (something) into a liquid”); to liquidize.
- 2
To make (a sound) less harsh.
- 3
To use up (money or other assets) wastefully; to dissipate, to squander, to waste.
- 4
informalTo kill (someone), usually violently, and especially for some ideological or political aim; to assassinate, to murder; also, to abolish or eliminate (something); to do away with, to put an end to.
- 5
To convert (assets) into cash; to encash, to realize, to redeem.
- 6
To settle (a debt) by paying the outstanding amount; to pay off.
- 7
To settle the financial affairs of (a corporation, partnership, or other business) with the aim of ceasing operations, by determining liabilities, using assets to pay debts, and apportioning the remaining assets if any; to wind up.
- 8
obsoleteTo make (something) clear and intelligible.
adjective
- 1
archaicobsoleterareOf an amount of money: ascertained, determined, fixed.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Liquidate in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense to kill (someone), usually violently – see also assassinate, kill, murder:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | liquider |
| German | liquidieren |
| Portuguese | liquidar |
| Spanish | liquidar |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does liquidate come from?
Learned borrowing from Late Latin liquidātus (“liquid; clear”, adjective) + English -ate (suffix forming verbs, and forming adjectives with the sense ‘characterized by [the specified things]’).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).