universal suffrage

noun

1. suffrage for all persons over a certain age, usually 18 or 21, who in other respects satisfy the requirements established by law.

Word History and Origins

Origin of universal suffrage¹

First recorded in 1700–10

Example Sentences

Before he started his four-year term, Tik vowed to get fellow lawmakers to debate the hot-button issue of universal suffrage to elect Hong Kong's leader.

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The trick was that the Declaration of Independence wasn’t about universal suffrage.

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The voting is done by direct universal suffrage in a single ballot.

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Iran holds regular elections for president and parliament with universal suffrage.

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China had promised universal suffrage as an ultimate goal for Hong Kong in its mini-constitution, the Basic Law.

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