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  

/ 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

That’s the way to stick it to people who want to disenfranchise you: to actually vote.

From Slate ● Sep. 23, 2026

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

From BBC ● Jan. 24, 2026

It would disenfranchise vulnerable groups of people, she said — women, people with disabilities, communities of color and the elderly.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 9, 2025

"I will continue to make sure that the more than 65,000 voters who Griffin seeks to disenfranchise have their voices heard. No matter how long it takes, I will not stop doing what is right."

From Salon ● Jan. 23, 2025

The whole thing is gone, and for my part I wish they'd disenfranchise the borough.

From Phineas Finn The Irish Member by Anthony Trollope

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

That’s just a misdemeanor, but it still disenfranchises Drouin.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 25, 2023

This disenfranchises those who have paid for their crime.

From Washington Post ● Mar. 29, 2023

Raman and Krekorian have sharply criticized the map, saying it disenfranchises voters and needs to be reworked.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2021

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

But for everyone who feels empowered by portals, others feel frustrated and disenfranchised by the technology, the information overload or the lack of face-to-face interaction.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

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

From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026

Foundation to ‘bring hope and strength to young adults ages 14-24 in underserved and disenfranchised communities.’

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

According to Jay, infant loss results in a form of disenfranchised grief.

From Slate ● Jul. 19, 2026

There was still no specific mention of African American women, who, along with African American men, would continue to be disenfranchised by state laws, especially in the South.

From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler

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

The landmark 1965 law followed the Civil Rights Act and outlawed discriminatory voting practices such as literacy tests that were aimed at disenfranchising Black voters.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 1, 2023

"In the last fifty years, a national consensus has emerged among the state legislatures against permanently disenfranchising those who have satisfied their judicially imposed sentences and thus repaid their debts to society," he wrote.

From Reuters ● Aug. 4, 2023

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

From Philistia by Grant Allen