disenfranchisement
Americannoun
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the act of depriving a person of the rights or privileges of a citizen, especially the right to vote.
Opponents claim that these changes to the voting registration laws will result in massive voter disenfranchisement, especially among minorities, seniors, and youth.
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the act of depriving a person of the rights or privileges of full participation in any community or organization, especially of the opportunity to influence policy or make one’s voice heard.
The disenfranchisement of women at the household level, with male control over household funds, has contributed to the devaluation of women's labor.
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the act of depriving a person of a legal or commercial franchise.
Persistent violations of the contract will result in the disenfranchisement of the franchisee.
Etymology
Origin of disenfranchisement
First recorded in 1715–25; disenfranchise ( def. ) + -ment ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
To prevent disenfranchisement, many states enacted laws that permitted soldiers to vote under the supervision of commanding officers, who would then transmit ballots to election officials back home.
From Slate • Mar. 13, 2026
Alliance Party assembly member Sian Mulholland said the "disenfranchisement of our society's young people" has been a "major democratic deficit".
From BBC • Jul. 17, 2025
Its mission grew from finding creative solutions to poverty and political disenfranchisement in the U.S. to funding humanitarian and human rights projects around the world.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 10, 2024
“I grew up with three women. I saw the disenfranchisement very clearly. And I saw the struggles, I saw the joy, I saw the love,” she said.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 29, 2024
In recent years, civil rights advocates have launched important reform efforts, most notably the campaigns challenging felon disenfranchisement laws, crack-sentencing policies, and racial profiling by law enforcement.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
