entbinden

German

Etymology

From Middle High German entbinden, enbinden, from Old High German intbintan, from Proto-Germanic *andabindaną. Cognate with English unbind, Dutch ontbinden.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɛntˈbɪn.dən/

• Audio:

  (file)

Verb

1. (transitive, dated, often passive voice) to see a woman through childbirth; to deliver

   Die Frau wurde von einem kleinen Mädchen entbunden.

   The woman was delivered of a little girl.

   Der Arzt hat die Frau entbunden.

   (please add an English translation of this usage example)

2. (intransitive) to give birth; referring to labour, excluding pregnancy

   Die Frau hat entbunden.

   The woman has given birth.

3. (transitive, still somewhat nonstandard) to give birth to a child

   Die Frau hat ein kleines Mädchen entbunden.

   The woman has given birth to a little girl.

4. (transitive, + von) to free someone from a duty; to release; to exempt

   Ich entbinde Sie von Ihrer Schweigepflicht.

   I exempt you from your confidentiality obligations.

5. (transitive, + von or genitive) to dismiss or discharge someone from a job or office

   Er wurde seines Amtes entbunden.

   He was discharged from his office.

Usage notes

• With regard to childbirth, the subject of entbinden was originally the doctor or midwife and the object was the mother (sense 1). This use is now dated, the mother being predominantly construed as the subject (sense 2). However, this construction is still usually intransitive (with no object at all). Transitive use with the child as the object is fairly current, but cannot yet be considered perfectly standard (sense 3).

Synonyms

• (see through childbirth): Geburtshilfe leisten
• (give birth, intransitive): gebären (includes pregnancy)
• (give birth, transitive): gebären; zur Welt bringen
• (free from a duty): befreien; freistellen
• (dismiss): entheben; entlassen; freistellen (euphemistic)