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• franklin
  franklin

  noun

  (in the 14th and 15th centuries) a freeholder who was not of noble birth.
• Franklin
  Franklin

  noun

  Aretha 1942–2018, U.S. singer.

franklin

¹ American  

[frangk-lin] / ˈfræŋk lɪn /

noun

English History.

franklins plural

1. (in the 14th and 15th centuries) a freeholder who was not of noble birth.

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Franklin ² American  

[frangk-lin] / ˈfræŋk lɪn /

noun

1. Aretha 1942–2018, U.S. singer.

2. Benjamin, 1706–90, American statesman, diplomat, author, scientist, and inventor.

3. Sir John, 1786–1847, English Arctic explorer.

4. John Hope, 1915–2009, U.S. historian and educator.

5. a district in extreme N Canada, in the Northwest Territories, including the Boothia and Melville peninsulas, Baffin Island, and other Arctic islands. 549,253 sq. mi. (1,422,565 sq. km).

6. a town in S Massachusetts.

7. a city in SE Wisconsin.

8. a town in central Tennessee.

9. a town in central Indiana.

10. a town in SW Ohio.

11. a male given name: from a Germanic word meaning “freeholder.”

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Franklin ¹ British  

/ ˈfræŋklɪn /

noun

1. Aretha (əˈriːθə) born 1942, US soul, pop, and gospel singer; noted for her songs "Respect" (1967), "I Say a Little Prayer" (1968), and, with George Michael, "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" (1987)

2. Benjamin 1706–90, American statesman, scientist, and author. He helped draw up the Declaration of Independence (1776) and, as ambassador to France (1776–85), he negotiated an alliance with France and a peace settlement with Britain. As a scientist, he is noted particularly for his researches in electricity, esp his invention of the lightning conductor

3. Sir John . 1786–1847, English explorer of the Arctic: lieutenant-governor of Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania) (1836–43): died while on a voyage to discover the Northwest Passage

4. Rosalind . 1920–58, British x-ray crystallographer. She contributed to the discovery of the structure of DNA, before her premature death from cancer

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franklin ² British  

/ ˈfræŋklɪn /

noun

1. (in 14th- and 15th-century England) a substantial landholder of free but not noble birth

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Franklin ¹ Scientific  

/ frăngk′lĭn /

1. American public official, scientist, inventor, and writer who fully established the distinction between negative and positive electricity, proved that lightning and electricity are identical, and suggested that buildings could be protected by lightning conductors. He also invented bifocal glasses, established the direction of the prevailing storm track in North America and determined the existence of the Gulf Stream.

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Franklin ² Scientific  

1. British x-ray crystallographer whose diffraction images, made by directing x-rays at DNA, provided crucial information that led to the discovery of its structure as a double helix by Francis Crick and James D. Watson.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• franklins
  plural

Etymology

Origin of franklin

1250–1300; Middle English fra ( u ) nkelin < Anglo-French fraunclein, equivalent to fraunc free, frank ¹ + -lein -ling ¹; formed on the model of Old French chamberlain chamberlain

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

franklin Franklin franklins

Who the heck cares that you live in oakland ho ho kus or franklin lakes!!!

From New York Times ● Mar. 19, 2010

With reporting by Eric Ferkenhoff Shirley Franklin / Atlanta Restorer of Faith Shirley franklin isn't standard mayor material.

From Time Magazine Archive

Restorer of Faith Shirley franklin isn't standard mayor material.

From Time Magazine Archive

The clearest fountain-head, and the most shady grove, were no longer selected for the noontide repast; but the house of some franklin, or a small abbey, afforded the necessary hospitality.

From The Betrothed by Scott, Walter, Sir

The franklin kept open house, the city merchant feasted kings, the outlaw roasted his venison beneath the greenwood tree.

From Dreamthorp A Book of Essays Written in the Country by Smith, Alexander

Before the home was fully razed, Franklin snapped up the land on which it sat for $6 million, according to The Wall Street Journal.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026

Eric especially admired the Witch’s House in Beverly Hills, the Shakespeare Bridge in Franklin Hills and the stained glass windows in Carthay Circle.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026

Franklin invited his children and grandchildren to join them and rented a 10-bedroom Airbnb to house them all.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026

Beginning in 2030, the European Space Agency's Rosalind Franklin rover is expected to join the search with specialized instruments designed to look for stronger chemical evidence.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 9, 2026

This 1805 Benjamin West painting, Benjamin Franklin Drawing Electricity from the Sky, portrays Franklin as a scientific hero.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

Then the court was set, and with the earl were many men whom I knew by sight, honest thanes and franklins enough, and of that I was glad.

From Wulfric the Weapon Thane by Whistler, Charles W. (Charles Watts)

It was customary in those days to place boys with foster-fathers; prominent nobles or even plain franklins received princes into their households and regarded the charge as an honoured trust.

From Canute the Great The Rise of Danish Imperialism during the Viking Age by Larson, Laurence Marcellus

In 1100 there were 4500 franklins, making a population of about 50,000, fully three-fourths of whom had a strong infusion of Celtic blood in them.

From The Story of the Volsungs, (Volsunga Saga) With Excerpts from the Poetic Edda by Morris, William

There were a good many thanes and franklins present to feast in our honour.

From King Alfred's Viking A Story of the First English Fleet by Whistler, Charles W. (Charles Watts)

The franklins in the neighbourhood were all hostile to Sir Rudolph, whom they regarded as a cruel tyrant, and did their utmost in the way of supplies for those in the forest.

From Winning His Spurs A Tale of the Crusades by Henty, G. A. (George Alfred)