disenfranchise

American  

[dis-en-fran-chahyz] / ˌdɪs ɛnˈfræn tʃaɪz /

verb (used with object)

• disenfranchises,
  present (3rd person singular)
• disenfranchised,
  past participle,  past
• disenfranchising
  present participle

1. to deprive (a person) of a right or privilege of citizenship, especially the right to vote.

   This electoral law disenfranchises people in prison and on parole, but allows those on probation to vote.

2. to deprive of the rights or privileges of full participation in society or in any community or organization, especially of the opportunity to influence policy or make one’s voice heard.

   We are intentionally seeking to engage all employees in these discussions so as not to disenfranchise any social minority.

3. to deprive of a commercial or legal franchise.

   There’s been talk of disenfranchising the cricket team for violation of the league’s bylaws.

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disenfranchise British  

/ ˌdɪsɪnˈfræntʃɪzmənt, ˌdɪsɪnˈfræntʃaɪz /

verb

1. to deprive (a person) of the right to vote or other rights of citizenship

2. to deprive (a place) of the right to send representatives to an elected body

3. to deprive (a business concern, etc) of some privilege or right

4. to deprive (a person, place, etc) of any franchise or right

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• disenfranchisement
  noun
• disenfranchiser
  noun

Inflected Forms

Participles

• disenfranchising
  present
• disenfranchised
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• disenfranchise
  simple
• disenfranchises
  simple
• have disenfranchised
  perfect
• has disenfranchised
  perfect
• am disenfranchising
  progressive
• are disenfranchising
  progressive
• is disenfranchising
  progressive
• have been disenfranchising
  perfect progressive
• has been disenfranchising
  perfect progressive

Past

• disenfranchised
  simple
• had disenfranchised
  perfect
• was disenfranchising
  progressive
• were disenfranchising
  progressive
• had been disenfranchising
  perfect progressive

Future

• will disenfranchise
  simple
• will have disenfranchised
  perfect
• will be disenfranchising
  progressive
• will have been disenfranchising
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of disenfranchise

First recorded in 1620–30; dis- ¹ + enfranchise

Explanation

Enfranchise means to give someone the right to vote. Disenfranchise means to take it away. The U.S. has a shameful history of disenfranchising African-American citizens through bogus laws and outright intimidation. Being disenfranchised can make you feel like you don't belong or that you have no power. When kids feel disenfranchised in school––when they feel like what they're being asked to learn doesn't matter, or that their teachers don't care about them, that whether they try or not they're going to fail––they stop learning.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

disenfranchise disenfranchises disenfranchised disenfranchising

Opposition MPs have criticised the delay, saying it would potentially disenfranchise millions of voters.

From BBC ● Jan. 24, 2026

“That exhibit, in and of itself, is no reason to strip the voters of Bridgeport of their rights and disenfranchise them.”

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 13, 2023

The lists could find their way into the hands of malicious actors and individual efforts to inspect the rolls could disenfranchise voters through intimidation or canceled registrations, state election officials and privacy advocates warned.

From Washington Times ● Oct. 4, 2023

The provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 currently ban tests for voting, which were used to disenfranchise people of color for decades.

From Salon ● May 16, 2023

They effectively discount any and all other means of acquiring knowledge, and totally disenfranchise individuals who cannot read.

From The Civilization of Illiteracy by Mihai Nadin

Yates, from Crackington Haven, said she wanted the bank to "reconsider their policy" as she believed it "disenfranchises the rural population".

From BBC ● May 14, 2026

Randall Avila, executive director of the Orange County GOP, said the measure disenfranchises Latino GOP voters like himself.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 1, 2025

This disenfranchises those who have paid for their crime.

From Washington Post ● Mar. 29, 2023

Hobbs said he opposed the practice because “it disenfranchises communities and leaves us vulnerable to misinformation,” but that he would honor voters’ decision if they were to choose ranked choice voting in the future.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 23, 2022

No other country in the world disenfranchises people who are released from prison in a manner even remotely resembling the United States.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

"We need to make sure that their right is not disenfranchised as well," he said.

From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026

Unlike deaths with associated rituals, road maps, and standards, those that are disenfranchised are complex, underacknowledged, and often isolating.

From Slate ● Jul. 19, 2026

Reform dubbed the matter "completely unacceptable" adding that "people who have postal votes should not be disenfranchised".

From BBC ● May 5, 2026

Congress’s aim was to prevent minorities from being disenfranchised.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 29, 2026

In order to vote, you had to be there in person, so those citizens who lived outside town were also, effectively, disenfranchised.

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith

States already ensure the vote is safe without disenfranchising vulnerable groups.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 2, 2025

Some voters confronted school staff and accused them of disenfranchising voters.

From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2024

It was not disenfranchising them, which is generous.

From Slate ● Feb. 5, 2024

In her dissent, Jones wrote that when the Supreme Court ruled that the Equal Protection Clause does not bar states from permanently disenfranchising felons, justices said people should seek change through state legislatures.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 4, 2023

Perhaps he might be able to undertake this Great Widgerly disenfranchising case.

From Philistia by Grant Allen