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
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
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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More than a century later, even after emancipation, that idea still shaped how my ancestors were laid to rest.—
Jeffrey Bennett,
Time,
5 Jan. 2026
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Venerable said the goal was not to frame Black cowboy history only through pain or exclusion, but through endurance and achievement, including families – like his own —who stayed connected to land and livestock long after emancipation.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
31 Dec. 2025
Noun
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The talk will encompass later American revolutions which related directly to principles expounded on in the Declaration of Independence such as abolition and women’s suffrage and civil rights.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
4 Jan. 2026
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The National Diet building, in Tokyo, predates women’s suffrage in the country.—
Laura Sharman,
CNN Money,
1 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Where there was once bondage, there is now liberation.—
Essence,
Essence,
7 Jan. 2026
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Arnold Jerocki/Getty A public homage will take place at a nearby site for admirers of the woman whose image once symbolized France's postwar liberation and sensuality.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Enfranchisement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enfranchisement. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
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