disenfranchise

verb

dis·​en·​fran·​chise ˌdis-in-ˈfran-ˌchīz 

disenfranchised; disenfranchising; disenfranchises

transitive verb

: to deprive of a franchise, of a legal right, or of some privilege or immunity

especially : to deprive of the right to vote

disenfranchising the poor and elderly

disenfranchisement

ˌdis-in-ˈfran-ˌchīz-mənt 

-chəz-

noun

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What Does It Mean to Disenfranchise Someone?

Disenfranchise first appeared in English in the 17th century, preceded for a period of some 200 years by the now uncommon word disfranchise. Though both words are, rather obviously, related to franchise, they have nothing to do with that word’s current sense “a team that is a member of a professional sports league." The original meaning of franchise was “freedom from servitude or restraint.” Although disenfranchise does broadly signify depriving someone of any of a number of legal rights, it is most often used today of withholding the right to vote, or of the diminished social or political status of a marginalized group.

Examples of disenfranchise in a Sentence

They disenfranchised poor people by making property ownership a requirement for registering to vote.

Recent Examples on the Web

The ruling affects the procedure of verifying voter addresses, which critics argued could disenfranchise voters due to possible errors in address verification. —Kaelan Deese, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 1 July 2024

States are also passing laws intended to disenfranchise Native Americans, especially after Native Americans exercise political power. —Deborah Barfield Berry, USA TODAY, 30 June 2024

That 49-point gap includes Republicans and independents who are routinely disenfranchised in the city’s dysfunctional voting system, in which most contests are decided in low-turnout primaries only open to registered Democrats. —Harry Siegel, New York Daily News, 20 Apr. 2024

In 2022, a federal judge ordered the county to submit a new redistricting map after the local NAACP chapter and ACLU of Maryland argued the first map violated the Fair Voting Act by disenfranchising Black voters. —Lia Russell, Baltimore Sun, 27 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1664, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

disenfranchise

verb

dis·​en·​fran·​chise ˌdis-ᵊn-ˈfran-ˌchīz 

: to deprive of a legal right

especially : to deprive of the right to vote

disenfranchisement

-ˌchīz-mənt 

-chəz-

noun

Legal Definition

disenfranchise

transitive verb

dis·​en·​fran·​chise ˌdis-ᵊn-ˈfran-ˌchīz 

disenfranchised; disenfranchising

: disfranchise

disenfranchisement noun