1
as in emancipation
the act of setting free from slavery
the Emancipation Proclamation was merely the first step in the full enfranchisement of African-Americans
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Recent Examples of enfranchisement
And in the young republic, enfranchisement quickly expanded further, with perhaps 80 percent of adult white men—90 percent in some states—coming to hold the right to vote.
—
Yoni Appelbaum,
The Atlantic,
8 June 2026
Many claim that with the abolition of slavery and the enfranchisement of women, and many other new laws like civil rights legislation and changing gender norms, there has been great progress.
—
Literary Hub,
12 Dec. 2025
In theory, this transition inaugurates a chapter of enfranchisement, but in the next scene the Senegalese businessmen are in suits, and the white men return with briefcases full of money as bribes.
—
Lovia Gyarkye,
IndieWire,
19 Aug. 2025
Yoni Appelbaum,
The Atlantic,
8 June 2026
Many claim that with the abolition of slavery and the enfranchisement of women, and many other new laws like civil rights legislation and changing gender norms, there has been great progress.
—
Literary Hub,
12 Dec. 2025
In theory, this transition inaugurates a chapter of enfranchisement, but in the next scene the Senegalese businessmen are in suits, and the white men return with briefcases full of money as bribes.
—
Lovia Gyarkye,
IndieWire,
19 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enfranchisement
Noun
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Everything from the division of the Peaches and the Plums to Shamea’s tagline this season is a secret cry from Shamea to Porsha, begging for attention under the guise of her own emancipation.
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Love, passion and a longing for emancipation fill their biosynthetic hearts.
Noun
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Then again, some of the timely real-world references (like the suffrage movement and the fight for workers’ rights) that made the last two films feel so vital are missed here.
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Although women’s suffrage became the law of the land in 1920, the Equal Rights Amendment was never ratified.
Noun
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Today, Project 2025 seeks to reverse no-fault divorce, despite its historical ties to women's liberation.
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When religion is made to serve the work of empire rather than the work of liberation, something has gone grievously wrong.
Cite this Entry
“Enfranchisement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enfranchisement. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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