enfranchise

C2 Topic:Social Issues & Human Rights

US /ɪnˈfræntʃaɪz/ UK /ɪnˈfræntʃaɪz/ See IPA manual

Freq #174945

Meanings

1

verb
to give a person or group the legal right to vote

The reform would enfranchise citizens who had previously been excluded from elections.
2

verb
historical or formal: to free someone from slavery, legal dependence, or another restriction

The decree enfranchised the remaining serfs and recognized them as free citizens.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to give a person or group... give the vote togrant suffrage toempower

2 verb · historical or formal: to... emancipate liberate free

Opposites

disenfranchise exclude enslave

Word family

Forms enfranchised

Derived forms enfranchisementenfranchiserenfranchisable

Related forms franchise suffrage emancipationcivil rights

Etymology

From Old French enfranchir, formed from en- (expressing a change of state) + franc, franche, 'free.' It first meant setting a person free or granting civic privileges; as franchise narrowed to the electoral right, enfranchise became especially associated with granting the vote.

Topics

Social Issues & Human Rights

External links

# enfranchise

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ɪnˈfræntʃaɪz/
**IPA (UK):** /ɪnˈfræntʃaɪz/
**Frequency rank:** 174945

## Meanings
1. to give a person or group the legal right to vote
2. historical or formal: to free someone from slavery, legal dependence, or another restriction

## Examples
- The reform would enfranchise citizens who had previously been excluded from elections.
- The decree enfranchised the remaining serfs and recognized them as free citizens.

## Synonyms
- give the vote to
- grant suffrage to
- empower
- emancipate
- liberate

## Antonyms
- disenfranchise
- exclude
- enslave

## Derived Forms
- enfranchisement
- enfranchiser
- enfranchisable

## Related Forms
- franchise
- suffrage
- emancipation
- civil rights

## Etymology
From Old French enfranchir, formed from en- (expressing a change of state) + franc, franche, 'free.' It first meant setting a person free or granting civic privileges; as franchise narrowed to the electoral right, enfranchise became especially associated with granting the vote.

## Topics
- Social Issues & Human Rights

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