enfranchise
verb
en·fran·chise
in-ˈfran-ˌchīz 
en-
enfranchised; enfranchising
1
: to set free (as from slavery)
2
: to endow with a franchise: such as
a
: to admit to the privileges of a citizen and especially to the right of suffrage
b
: to admit (a municipality) to political privileges or rights
Synonyms
Examples of enfranchise in a Sentence
in a way, modern labor-saving appliances enfranchised people, giving them much more leisure time
Recent Examples on the Web
Comprehensively enfranchising migrants as urban citizens could lead to severe backlash from the urban elites—the constituency with which the CCP most closely aligns.
—
Damien Ma, Foreign Affairs, 25 Aug. 2015
In 1972, after the Twenty-sixth Amendment lowered the voting age from twenty-one to eighteen, some twenty-five million additional Americans were enfranchised in time for the Presidential election.
—E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 27 June 2024
But as long as China refuses to enfranchise the general public to monitor administrative measures, upper-level bureaucratic actors will continue to be foiled in their efforts by their subordinates.
—Yanzhong Huang, Foreign Affairs, 1 Nov. 2011
The Fifteenth Amendment enfranchised Black men, implicitly creating a bloc of voters to counterbalance the power of former Confederates in the South.
—Jelani Cobb, The New Yorker, 14 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for enfranchise 
Damien Ma, Foreign Affairs, 25 Aug. 2015
In 1972, after the Twenty-sixth Amendment lowered the voting age from twenty-one to eighteen, some twenty-five million additional Americans were enfranchised in time for the Presidential election.
—E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 27 June 2024
But as long as China refuses to enfranchise the general public to monitor administrative measures, upper-level bureaucratic actors will continue to be foiled in their efforts by their subordinates.
—Yanzhong Huang, Foreign Affairs, 1 Nov. 2011
The Fifteenth Amendment enfranchised Black men, implicitly creating a bloc of voters to counterbalance the power of former Confederates in the South.
—Jelani Cobb, The New Yorker, 14 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for enfranchise
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'enfranchise.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Enfranchise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enfranchise. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
enfranchise
verb
en·fran·chise
in-ˈfran-ˌchīz
enfranchised; enfranchising
1
: to set free (as from slavery)
2
: to give full privileges of citizenship to
especially
: to give the right to vote
Legal Definition
enfranchise
transitive verb
en·fran·chise
in-ˈfran-ˌchīz
enfranchised; enfranchising
: to grant franchise to
especially
: to admit to the privileges of a citizen and especially to voting rights
the Twenty-sixth Amendment enfranchised all citizens over 18 years of age
compare emancipate
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