enfranchise
en-FRAN-chyz
/ɪnˈfræntʃaɪz/
To grant a person or group the legal right to vote, or to grant civil liberties and citizenship rights.
Implies an official, institutional expansion of democratic rights to a population previously excluded.
The story behind the word. In medieval France, the root 'franc' meant 'free' (not enslaved or bound as a serf). To enfranchise someone literally meant to liberate them from servitude and grant them the full legal status and privileges of a free citizen.
Word relationships
- empower: 'Empower' is broader and can refer to personal or social authority, whereas 'enfranchise' specifically means granting civil voting rights.
- liberate: 'Liberate' implies freeing from physical bondage or oppression, while 'enfranchise' focuses on legal civil rights.
- disenfranchise: 'Disenfranchise' means to deprive a person or group of the right to vote or hold civil rights.
Commonly confused with
- franchise: 'Franchise' is the noun form or business agreement; 'enfranchise' is the verb meaning to grant voting rights.
Word family
- enfranchisement (noun): The act of granting political rights or freedom.
Collocations
- enfranchise voters
- enfranchise citizens
- fully enfranchise
- enfranchise marginalized groups
Example sentences
- "The Voting Rights Act of 1965 sought to enfranchise millions of Black citizens who had been systematically disenfranchised in the American South." Legislative civil rights reform
- "When constitutional amendments enfranchise younger voters, political parties must adapt their platforms to address youth priorities." Youth civic engagement
Memory hook
En-FRAN-chise = enter into being FRANK and free to vote! Granting freedom at the voting booth.
When not to use
Do not use for informal permissions, granting casual favors, or giving general advice.
Fun facts
- The word 'frank' (meaning candid or open) shares this exact root, because free citizens in early Europe were permitted to speak openly without fear!
Related words
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