liquidate
gb/lˈɪkwɪdˌeɪt/ us/lˈɪkwɪdˌeɪt/
C1
English
pénzzé tesz, felszámol, kiegyenlít, rendez, likvidál
VERB
C1
BUSINESS
1
pénzzé tesz
B2
Usage pattern:
liquidate [assets/investments/inventory]
The family liquidated some investments to pay the medical bills.
A család pénzzé tett néhány befektetést, hogy ki tudja fizetni az orvosi számlákat.
Investors rushed to liquidate their holdings when the market fell.
Amikor esni kezdett a piac, a befektetők sietve pénzzé tették a befektetéseiket.
The company plans to liquidate excess inventory before the end of the quarter.
Learner examples
She liquidated her shares to buy a house.
Pénzzé tette a részvényeit, hogy házat vegyen.
They had to liquidate assets to raise money.
Vagyontárgyakat kellett pénzzé tenniük, hogy pénzt szerezzenek.
Common mistake:
Do not use liquidate to mean make something into a liquid; the usual verb for that is liquefy.
Meaning
sell assets for cash
Collocations
liquidate assets
|liquidate holdings
|liquidate investments
|liquidate a portfolio
|liquidate shares
|liquidate stock
|liquidate inventory
|liquidate property
|liquidate collateral
|liquidate reserves
Synonyms
sell off (often suggests selling quickly, cheaply, or completely)
|
cash out (more informal, especially for investments or accounts)
|
convert to cash (clear, literal phrasing)
|
realize (more technical or financial, especially in British English)
Antonyms
buy (to obtain assets rather than sell them)
|
acquire (more formal; to gain ownership rather than dispose of assets)
|
invest (to put money into assets rather than turn assets into cash)
Themes
finance
|business
|investing
Definition
to sell something valuable so that you have cash
To sell assets, property, investments, or inventory, usually quickly or completely, in order to obtain cash.
VERB
C1
BUSINESS
2
felszámol
B2
Usage pattern:
liquidate [a company/business/firm]
The retailer was liquidated after failing to find a buyer.
A kereskedőcéget felszámolták, miután nem sikerült vevőt találni rá.
A court appointed an administrator to liquidate the company.
A bíróság felszámolót nevezett ki, hogy felszámolja a vállalatot.
If no rescue plan is approved, the business will be liquidated next month.
Learner examples
The company was liquidated after it lost too much money.
A céget felszámolták, miután túl sok pénzt veszített.
They decided to liquidate the business and pay the creditors.
Úgy döntöttek, felszámolják a vállalkozást, és kifizetik a hitelezőket.
Common mistake:
Liquidating a company means closing it down, not simply making it more profitable or more flexible.
Meaning
close a business legally
Collocations
liquidate a company
|liquidate a business
|liquidate a firm
|liquidate a subsidiary
|liquidate a bankrupt company
|be liquidated
|forced to liquidate
|ordered to liquidate
|appoint someone to liquidate
|liquidate the company’s assets
Synonyms
wind up (common legal/business term, especially in British English)
|
dissolve (formal; emphasizes ending the legal existence of an organization)
|
close down (more general and less specifically financial)
|
shut down (more general; may be temporary or permanent)
Antonyms
establish (to create a business rather than end it)
|
launch (to start a new business or operation)
|
keep operating (to continue business rather than close it)
Themes
business
|law
|finance
Definition
to close a company and sell what it owns to pay its debts
To close a business or organization legally by selling its assets and using the money to pay its debts.
VERB
C2
FORMAL
3
kiegyenlít
B2
rendez
B2
Usage pattern:
liquidate [a debt/claim/obligation]
They sold the land to liquidate the debt.
Eladták a földet, hogy kiegyenlítsék az adósságot.
The settlement funds were used to liquidate several outstanding claims.
Az egyezségből származó összeget több fennálló követelés rendezésére használták fel.
The borrower promised to liquidate all arrears by the end of the year.
Learner examples
He liquidated the debt in one payment.
Egy összegben kiegyenlítette a tartozást.
The company sold equipment to liquidate its loans.
A cég berendezéseket adott el, hogy kiegyenlítse a hiteleit.
Common mistake:
This use is formal; in everyday English, pay off a debt is much more common.
Meaning
pay off a debt
Collocations
liquidate a debt
|liquidate liabilities
|liquidate an obligation
|liquidate a claim
|liquidate arrears
|liquidate outstanding debts
Synonyms
pay off (ordinary everyday wording)
|
settle (common for debts, bills, and claims)
|
discharge (legal or formal; means release someone from an obligation by payment or action)
Antonyms
incur (to take on a debt rather than pay it)
|
default on (to fail to pay a debt as required)
|
leave unpaid (to not settle an amount owed)
Themes
finance
|law
|debt
Definition
to pay a debt completely
To pay off or settle a debt, claim, or other financial obligation.
VERB
C1
FORMAL
4
likvidál
C1
Usage pattern:
liquidate [someone]
The dictator’s secret police liquidated many of his opponents.
A diktátor titkosrendőrsége sok ellenfelét likvidálta.
In the crime novel, the gang tries to liquidate the witness before trial.
A bűnregényben a banda megpróbálja likvidálni a tanút a tárgyalás előtt.
The order was to capture the target, not liquidate him.
Learner examples
The spy was told to liquidate the enemy agent.
A kém azt a parancsot kapta, hogy likvidálja az ellenséges ügynököt.
Common mistake:
This is a very strong word. Do not use it casually to mean finish a task or defeat someone in a game unless the context clearly allows it.
Meaning
kill someone deliberately
Collocations
liquidate opponents
|liquidate enemies
|liquidate dissidents
|liquidate a rival
|liquidate a witness
|liquidate a target
|be liquidated by agents
Synonyms
kill (direct, neutral word for causing death)
|
assassinate (usually means killing a public or important person for political reasons)
|
eliminate (often euphemistic and can mean kill or remove)
Antonyms
spare (to decide not to kill someone)
|
protect (to keep someone safe rather than harm them)
|
save (to prevent someone from dying)
Themes
crime
|politics
|military
|violence
Definition
to kill someone in a planned or official-sounding way
To kill someone, especially as part of a political, military, or criminal operation; often used as a cold or euphemistic term.
VERB
C2
FORMAL
5
felszámol
B2
Usage pattern:
liquidate [an organization/system/threat]
The new government liquidated the old secret police and transferred its records to a civilian agency.
Az új kormány felszámolta a régi titkosrendőrséget, és az iratait egy civil hivatalhoz helyezte át.
The occupying authorities tried to liquidate all independent political parties.
A megszálló hatóságok megpróbálták felszámolni az összes független politikai pártot.
The campaign was designed to liquidate the remaining rebel network.
Learner examples
The regime tried to liquidate the opposition.
A rezsim megpróbálta felszámolni az ellenzéket.
Common mistake:
This sense is formal and severe; for ordinary problems, use solve, remove, or get rid of.
Meaning
eliminate completely
Collocations
liquidate the opposition
|liquidate an organization
|liquidate a network
|liquidate a threat
|liquidate a faction
|liquidate a regime
|liquidate an agency
Synonyms
eliminate (more common and less specifically financial or violent)
|
dismantle (emphasizes taking apart a system or organization)
|
abolish (used for laws, institutions, or practices ended officially)
|
eradicate (suggests removing something completely, often a problem or disease)
Antonyms
preserve (to keep something in existence)
|
maintain (to continue or support something rather than remove it)
|
strengthen (to make something stronger rather than destroy it)
Themes
politics
|organizations
|conflict
Definition
to remove or destroy something completely
To destroy, abolish, or remove an organization, system, threat, or opposition completely, often through severe or forceful action.
Grammar
Dictionary form
liquidate
IPA
GB/lˈɪkwɪdˌeɪt/
US/lˈɪkwɪdˌeɪt/
Syllables & stress
li - quid - ate (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (li)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: liquidate
- 3rd Person Singular: liquidates
- Present Participle: liquidating
- Past: liquidated
Expressions
go into liquidation
1/ɡˈoʊ ˈɪntu lˌɪkwɪdˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
business
enter legal closure process
when a company starts the legal process of closing and selling what it owns to pay debts
Examples
- The chain went into liquidation after months of falling sales.
- Once the company goes into liquidation, a liquidator takes control of its assets.
- Several suppliers lost money when the contractor went into liquidation.
Learner examples
- The small factory went into liquidation last year.
go into liquidation
1/ɡˈoʊ ˈɪntu lˌɪkwɪdˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
business
Start company liquidation
for a company to start the legal process of closing because its assets must be sold
Examples
- The airline went into liquidation after months of financial trouble.
- If the club goes into liquidation, its stadium may be sold.
- Several suppliers lost money when the retailer went into liquidation.
Learner examples
- The company went into liquidation.
- The business could not pay its debts.
liquidate a position
1/lˈɪkwɪdˌeɪt ə pəzˈɪʃən/
fixed phrase
technical
sell an investment holding
to sell an investment that you hold
Examples
- The fund liquidated its position in the airline after the profit warning.
- If the price falls below the margin requirement, the broker may liquidate your position.
- Traders liquidated long positions when the inflation report came out.
Learner examples
- She liquidated her position in the stock.
- The broker liquidated his position after prices fell.
liquidated damages
1/lˈɪkwɪdˌeɪtɪd dˈæmɪd͡ʒɪz/
fixed phrase
legal
Contract-set damages amount
money a contract says must be paid if someone breaks the contract.
Examples
- The contract required liquidated damages of $1,000 for each day the project was late.
- The court enforced the liquidated damages clause because the amount was reasonable.
Learner examples
- The contract set liquidated damages.
- They had to pay liquidated damages for the delay.
liquidated damages
1/lˈɪkwɪdˌeɪtɪd dˈæmɪd͡ʒɪz/
fixed phrase
legal
pre-agreed contract compensation
money that a contract says someone must pay if they break the agreement
Examples
- The contract includes a liquidated damages clause for late delivery.
- The court upheld the liquidated damages because the amount was a reasonable estimate of loss.
- The supplier agreed to pay liquidated damages for each week of delay.
Learner examples
- The buyer had to pay liquidated damages for canceling late.
liquidation sale
1/lˌɪkwɪdˈeɪʃən sˈeɪl/
fixed phrase
business
discount sale before closure
a sale where a shop sells many things cheaply because it is closing or clearing stock
Examples
- The store held a liquidation sale before closing all its branches.
- Most items in the liquidation sale were marked down by 50 percent.
- Crowds lined up early for the electronics chain’s final liquidation sale.
Learner examples
- The shop had a liquidation sale before it closed.
- I bought a chair at a liquidation sale.
liquidation sale
1/lˌɪkwɪdˈeɪʃən sˈeɪl/
fixed phrase
business
Sale of remaining stock
a sale where a store sells everything cheaply, often because it is closing
Examples
- The furniture store is holding a liquidation sale before it closes next month.
- Shoppers arrived early for the liquidation sale because all stock was marked down.
- The company used a liquidation sale to clear old inventory from its warehouse.
Learner examples
- The store has a liquidation sale.
- Everything is cheap in the liquidation sale.