means To set something free from confinement, tension, or restraint — letting it go, whether that's a prisoner, a held button, or a new album into the world.

from From Old French 'relaissier' or 'relesser,' meaning to let go or relinquish, which traces back to Latin 'relaxare' — to loosen, slacken, or relax. So at its root, 'release' and 'relax' are siblings: both are the un-tightening of something held taut. The 're-' adds a sense of 'back,' the 'lax' the slackness — together, the deliberate undoing of a grip.