emancipation

1. Law: The act of allowing a minor to take on adult responsibilities and freedoms, usually due to a unique set of circumstances. A court may choose to emancipate a minor who is being abused by her parents and who has proved that she can take care of herself, a minor whose parents have died and is left as the only family member with the ability to take care of his younger siblings, or individuals in other critical circumstances.

2. The act of setting something free from something else. "The slaves were emancipated from their masters after the Civil War." "The animals were emancipated from their captivity after it was found they were being treated cruelly."