liquidate
/ˈlɪk.wɪ.deɪt/ IELTSAcademic
verb
To close a business or company and sell its assets, usually because it cannot continue. It can also mean to sell things and turn them into cash.
- The company decided to liquidate its assets.
- They liquidated the shop after heavy losses.
- We liquidated old stock at a discount.
Adinary Nuance
Liquidate is stronger and more formal than sell. It often suggests ending a business, clearing debt, or turning assets into cash. Use sell for ordinary buying and selling; use liquidate for money, property, stock, or a company. It can sound serious or final.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- thanh lý
- Spanish
- liquidar
- Chinese
- 清算
- Japanese
- 清算する
- Korean
- 청산하다
Etymology
Liquidate comes from Latin liquidare, meaning “to make liquid.” In English, it first appeared in the 1500s, and later developed the business meaning of turning assets into cash.
Common phrases
liquidate assetsliquidate a companyliquidate stockliquidate holdings
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is liquidate formal or informal?
- It is fairly formal. People use it in business, law, and finance more than in everyday speech.
- What is the difference between liquidate and sell?
- Sell is general. Liquidate often means selling things quickly, usually to close a business or get cash.
- Can I use liquidate for a person?
- No. It is used for things like assets, stock, companies, or holdings, not people.
- Is liquidate common in IELTS writing?
- Yes. It can be useful in academic and business topics, especially finance and markets.