disenfranchise
verb
Did you know?
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
Alexandra Kukulka, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2025
Last week, the Florida Supreme Court twisted a historic provision of the U.S. Constitution, meant to protect minority voters, as a means to disenfranchise them.
—Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 July 2025
During the July 18 vote, Smith echoed their concerns, noting that an August election date may disenfranchise voters overseas who will not receive ballots in time or voters who need to vote early or by absentee ballot.
—Ilana Arougheti
july 24, Kansas City Star, 24 July 2025
That's even harder, since selectively disenfranchising huge swaths of the eligible voting population would seem to undermine, not promote, election integrity.
—Stephen Legomsky, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for disenfranchise
Cite this Entry
“Disenfranchise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disenfranchise. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
disenfranchise
verb
Legal Definition
disenfranchise
transitive verb
Share