enfranchise [en-fran -chahyz]
Examples Word Origin
See more synonyms for enfranchise on Thesaurus.com verb (used with object), en·fran·chised, en·fran·chis·ing. to grant a franchise to; admit to citizenship, especially to the right of voting. to endow (a city, constituency, etc.) with municipal or parliamentary rights. to set free; liberate, as from slavery. Show More
Origin of enfranchise 1505–15; <
Middle French, Old French enfranchiss- (long stem of
enfranchir to free), equivalent to
en- en-1 +
franch- free (see
frank1 ) +
iss- -ish2 Related forms en·fran·chise·ment [en-fran -chahyz-muh nt, -chiz-] /ɛnˈfræn tʃaɪz mənt, -tʃɪz-/ noun en·fran·chis·er , noun un·en·fran·chised , adjective Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for enfranchise Historical Examples of enfranchise "Death alone can enfranchise them from their servitude," has said Para-Brahma.
By enfranchising the women of this country, you enfranchise humanity.
We are not asking Congress to enfranchise us, because it does not possess that power.
In 1891 a bill was presented to enfranchise women by statute.
The Mother Colony seems likely to be the next to enfranchise women.
British Dictionary definitions for enfranchise to grant the power of voting to, esp as a right of citizenship to liberate, as from servitude (in England) to invest (a town, city, etc) with the right to be represented in Parliament English law to convert (leasehold) to freehold Show More
Derived Forms enfranchisement , noun enfranchiser , noun Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for enfranchise v. early 15c., "to set free," from Old French enfranchiss- , present participle stem of enfranchir "to set or make free; grant a franchise to;" from en- "make, put in" (see en- (1)) + franc "free" (see franchise ).
Meaning "to admit to membership in a state" (generally with reference to voting privileges) is from 1680s. Related: Enfranchised ; enfranchisement .
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
