verb
to dismiss, to lay off
B1
entlassen — to dismiss; to lay off (also to release, e.g. discharge from hospital). Transitive: jemanden entlassen. Auxiliary haben (Perfekt: hat entlassen). Strong/irregular verb: Präteritum entließ, Partizip II entlassen. Present stem alternation entlässt (e→ie). Not reflexive or separable; common collocations include aus dem Krankenhaus entlassen.
Examples
Die Firma entlässt Mitarbeiter.
The company is laying off employees.
Der Chef entließ den Mitarbeiter, nachdem ein Fehler wiederholt aufgetreten war.
The boss dismissed the employee after an error had occurred repeatedly.
Er ist entlassen worden.
He has been dismissed.
Details
Mnemonics
Imagine an office door with a sign 'You are released' as someone walks out carrying a small box
sounds like 'ent + lass' — think 'let go' (lass = let)
Notes
entlassen is typically transitive (someone dismisses someone). The prefix 'ent-' is inseparable. In passive contexts 'entlassen werden' is common (to be dismissed/laid off).