as in to liberate
to set free (as from slavery or confinement)
in a way, modern labor-saving appliances enfranchised people, giving them much more leisure time
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of enfranchise
Some other states specifically prohibit localities from enfranchising noncitizens.
—
Jennifer Peltz, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2025
Thus enfranchised, Hackman took on Richard Harris’ elegant killer English Bob with gusto, mixing in a bravura oratorical gavotte with ample kicks to the ribs, and summoning the Best Supporting Actor trophy.
—Fred Schruers, IndieWire, 27 Feb. 2025
After the Third Reform Act of 1884, six of 10 adult Englishmen were enfranchised.
—Geoffrey Wheatcroft, New York Times, 18 Jan. 2025
Millions were enfranchised when women got the vote in 1920, but Black women were mostly excluded from voting due to legal discrimination.
—JSTOR Daily, 18 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for enfranchise
Jennifer Peltz, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2025
Thus enfranchised, Hackman took on Richard Harris’ elegant killer English Bob with gusto, mixing in a bravura oratorical gavotte with ample kicks to the ribs, and summoning the Best Supporting Actor trophy.
—Fred Schruers, IndieWire, 27 Feb. 2025
After the Third Reform Act of 1884, six of 10 adult Englishmen were enfranchised.
—Geoffrey Wheatcroft, New York Times, 18 Jan. 2025
Millions were enfranchised when women got the vote in 1920, but Black women were mostly excluded from voting due to legal discrimination.
—JSTOR Daily, 18 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for enfranchise
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enfranchise
Verb
-
Uranus retrograde in your sign on the 6th may cause some unexpected twists, but these changes are meant to liberate you from old ways of thinking and being.—
Meghan Rose,
Glamour,
1 Oct. 2025
-
The film opens in an immigration detention camp, as a band of left-wing political militants known as the French 75 infiltrate the facility to liberate the detained, and detain the military overseers.—
Katie Walsh,
Twin Cities,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
This frees up invaluable human time to shape creative ideas and make strategic decisions on where audiences are most likely to engage.—
Derya Matras,
Fortune,
4 Oct. 2025
-
Addressing my trauma really is freeing.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
According to figures from a housing assessment released this April, the median house value in Fayetteville has grown 275% in the last two decades, and the median gross rent has increased 78%.—
Juan Cordoba,
Arkansas Online,
5 Oct. 2025
-
In the lead-up to the tournament, Argentina had played a series of friendlies without him, since Valencia refused to release him.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
This is well over a dozen years before Black people are declared emancipated.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Sep. 2025
-
In the Revolutionary War itself, Britain’s Lord Dunmore had emancipated large numbers of southern slaves as a war measure—a fact well-known in both the 1770s and the 1860s.—
Akhil Reed Amar,
Time,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Brooks explained the white and brown pup was rescued from a cruelty case in South Carolina.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
-
As Sergio uncovers that the village’s devotion to Matteo is far from benevolent, his attempt to rescue the boy known as the Angel of Remis ignites the community’s vengeful nature.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Blood is always poised and ready to clot, because the body sees this as a life-saving mechanism.—
Bryant Stamford,
Louisville Courier Journal,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Is intuitive budgeting effective for saving money?—
Andreina Rodriguez,
CNBC,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Enfranchise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enfranchise. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share