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.
The court has said that the allegations of disenfranchisement "largely appears to be a case of trust deficit, nothing else" and that it would "step in immediately" if mass exclusion of voters is proven.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2025
Public sentiment about disenfranchisement as a punishment for crime is changing, too.
From Slate ● Oct. 17, 2024
Two lawsuits in recent years have challenged Mississippi’s felony disenfranchisement.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 17, 2024
The rest, he says, riff on the themes he associates with the city: alienation, disenfranchisement, reckoning with ghosts of the past and desperate love.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 31, 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
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