discharged
UK[dɪsˈtʃɑːdʒd]US[dɪsˈtʃɑːrdʒd]
v
To allow someone to officially leave a place, especially a hospital or the armed forces.
v
To send out or release something, such as a liquid, gas, or bullet.
v
To perform a duty or complete a responsibility.
v
To officially tell someone they do not have to do something anymore, such as pay a debt or appear in court.
Morpheme Breakdown
dis
charge
ed
dis
away, removal
charge
load, duty
ed
past tense/participle suffix
Etymology
The verb "discharge" originates from the Old French deschargier, itself formed from the Latin prefix dis- (expressing reversal) and the verb carricare (to load a vehicle). The literal, physical meaning was "to unload" or "to remove a cargo." This core concept of removing a burden or load evolved logically into its modern abstract senses: releasing someone from duty (unloading a responsibility), releasing a substance (unloading contents), and fulfilling an obligation (unloading a debt). The past participle form "discharged" specifically indicates the completed state of this action.
Analysis
Structure: dis (away, removal) + charge (load, duty) + ed (past tense/participle suffix)
- dis: A Latin prefix meaning "apart," "away," or "having a negative or reversing force."
- charge: From Old French charger (to load), from Late Latin carricare, from Latin carrus (wheeled vehicle). Its core sense is "to load."
- ed: An Old English suffix used to form the past tense and past participle of regular verbs.
Examples
The patient was discharged from the hospital after a full recovery.
The factory was fined for discharging pollutants into the river.
He discharged his duties as manager with great competence.