WordGarden.ioliquidate
B1Pronunciation
UK
- /lˈɪkwɪdˌeɪt/
US
- /ˈlɪkwɪˌdeɪt/
Meanings
Verb
to convert assets, investments, or stock into cash by selling them
to wind up a business by selling its assets and settling debts
to kill someone deliberately, especially as an enemy or on orders
Beyond the definition
Imagine a shopkeeper deciding to retire. To liquidate their business means they sell off all the stock—everything from tables and chairs to toys and tools—turning those possessions into cash. It's about converting things you own into money you can use.
But "liquidate" isn't just for shopkeepers. It can also mean selling investments, like stocks or bonds, to get cash quickly. Sometimes, a company is forced to liquidate, which means it closes and sells its assets to pay its debts. Think of it as turning things into "liquid" money before moving on. In some formal or historical contexts, the word can also mean getting rid of someone or something completely.
To liquidate means to convert assets—the things a person or company owns—into cash. This is often done to raise funds quickly, whether for personal needs, new investment opportunities, or to satisfy creditors.
The term is deeply rooted in the financial world. If you "liquidate your portfolio," you are selling your holdings to turn them into cash. While this can be a strategic move to lock in profits, it can also be a sign of financial distress. In a formal business sense, liquidation occurs when a company is dissolved. This process is often overseen by a "liquidator," a person appointed to sell off equipment and inventory to pay back people the company owes money to.
Beyond finance, "liquidate" has a darker secondary meaning: to eliminate or get rid of someone or something completely. In political, military, or crime contexts, it often means to kill an opponent or remove a target. You might read about a regime trying to "liquidate the opposition." In older or formal use, it can also mean settling an obligation, such as liquidating a debt.
Whether it's selling off inventory, closing a business, cashing out investments, or, in harsher contexts, eliminating a target, liquidate is about bringing something to a final end by turning it into cash or removing it completely.
Examples
- 1
Asset sales
The company plans to liquidate several assets to raise cash.
- 2
Business closure
After the store went out of business, the owner liquidated the remaining inventory.
- 3
Legal process
The court appointed an administrator to liquidate the company and pay its creditors.
- 4
Investments
Many investors liquidated their positions when the market started falling.
- Domainliquidate a position
sell an investment you own
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Debt repayment
The proceeds from the sale were used to liquidate the debt.
- Phraseliquidate a debt
pay it off completely
- 6
Political violence
The regime was accused of liquidating its political opponents.
- Usageliquidate someone
kill them, often in a cold or official-sounding way
See also
Similar
- sell off
- convert to cash
- cash out
Shades of meaning
- wind up
- dispose of
- divest
Contrast
Do not confuse
Used with (collocations)
- liquidate assets
- liquidate inventory
- liquidate a company
- forced liquidation
Word family
Explore
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- liquidateverb
Forms
- liquidatedpast tenseverb
- liquidating-ing formverb
- liquidatesverb