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
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
The passage of the Fifteenth Amendment in 1870, which enfranchised formerly enslaved men, seemingly brought the push for voting rights to fruition.
—
Time, 12 Sep. 2025
Open primaries would enfranchise more than a million New York voters, who are disproportionately young and represent communities of color.
—John Avlon, New York Daily News, 7 July 2025
About a year after the infirmary team returned to the United States, the 19th Amendment became law, enfranchising 27 million women, the largest expansion of voting rights in American history.
—Amy Sohn, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 June 2025
Some other states specifically prohibit localities from enfranchising noncitizens.
—Jennifer Peltz, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for enfranchise
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Time, 12 Sep. 2025
Open primaries would enfranchise more than a million New York voters, who are disproportionately young and represent communities of color.
—John Avlon, New York Daily News, 7 July 2025
About a year after the infirmary team returned to the United States, the 19th Amendment became law, enfranchising 27 million women, the largest expansion of voting rights in American history.
—Amy Sohn, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 June 2025
Some other states specifically prohibit localities from enfranchising noncitizens.
—Jennifer Peltz, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for enfranchise
Cite this Entry
“Enfranchise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enfranchise. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share