enfranchise

[ en-fran-chahyz ]

/ ɛnˈfræn tʃaɪz /

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.

Nearby words

enflurane, enfold, enforce, enforcement, enforcer, enfranchise, eng, eng., eng. d., engadine, engage

Also franchise.

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-/, nounen·fran·chis·er, nounun·en·fran·chised, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for enfranchise

Of the two it would be better to disfranchise the soldiers and enfranchise the mothers.
The History of Woman Suffrage, Volume IV|Various
The Republican press was equally hostile to the proposition to enfranchise women.
The Life and Work of Susan B. Anthony (Volume 1 of 2)|Ida Husted Harper
"Death alone can enfranchise them from their servitude," has said Para-Brahma.
The Unknown Life of Jesus Christ|Nicolas Notovitch
He would support a bill to disfranchise Dudley, and support another to enfranchise Old Sarum.
The Curiosities of Dudley and the Black Country, From 1800 to 1860|C. F. G. Clark

The speech was against Senator Wilson's bill to enfranchise the women of the territories.
History of Woman Suffrage, Volume III (of III)|Various

British Dictionary definitions for enfranchise

enfranchise

/ (ɪnˈfræntʃaɪz) /

verb (tr)

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

Derived Forms

enfranchisement, nounenfranchiser, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

enfranchise

verb (used with object), en·fran·chised, en·fran·chis·ing.

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RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of enfranchise

Related forms

Examples from the Web for enfranchise

British Dictionary definitions for enfranchise

enfranchise

verb (tr)

Derived Forms