"act of setting free from restraint or confinement," early 15c., liberacion, from Old French libération and directly from Latin liberationem (nominative liberatio) "a setting or becoming free," noun of action from past-participle stem of liberare "to set free," from liber "free" (see liberal (adj.)).

Liberation theology (1969) translates Spanish teologia de la liberación, coined 1968 by Peruvian priest Gustavo Gutiérrez (b. 1928). In late 19c. British history, liberationism, liberationist are in reference to the movement to disestablish the Church, from the Liberation Society, devoted to the freeing of religion from state patronage and control.

late 14c., mevement, "change of position; passage from place to place," from Old French movement "movement, exercise; start, instigation" (Modern French mouvement), from Medieval Latin movimentum, from Latin movere "to move, set in motion" (from PIE root *meue- "to push away"). In the musical sense of "major division of a piece" it is attested from 1776; in the political/artistic/social sense of "course of acts and endeavors by a body of persons toward some specific end" is from 1828. Related: Movements.

"rapid oscillatory motion observed in very small particles," 1850, for Scottish scientist Dr. Robert Brown (1773-1858), who first described it.

by 1996, in gay literature, from gay + radar.

"bunch of flowers used to delight the sense of smell," late 15c., from nose (n.) + gay in an obsolete noun sense of "gay or bright thing."

initialism (acronym) of Palestinian Liberation Organization, by 1965.

"cheerfulness, mirth," 1630s, from French gaieté (Old French gaiete, 12c.), from gai "gay" (see gay). In the 1890s, in Britain, especially with reference to a London theater of that name, and the kind of musical shows and dancing girls it presented.

1874, in chemistry, "relating to a liberation of heat," modeled on French exothermique (1869, Berthelot); see exo- + thermal.