universal suffrage

noun

: the right of all adult citizens to vote in an election

Examples of universal suffrage in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web And so one of those human rights was universal suffrage. Chris Klimek, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Feb. 2024 Over time, these conditions came to include universal suffrage and the welfare state, as well as individual empowerment and market freedom. Helena Rosenblatt, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024 Named for the umbrellas used by demonstrators to shield themselves from police pepper spray, the Umbrella Movement saw Hong Kong’s financial district immobilized for 79 days in 2014 by protesters calling for universal suffrage in the semi-autonomous Chinese city. Issy Ronald, CNN, 30 Jan. 2024 In 1900 there was not a single liberal democracy in the world (since none yet had universal suffrage); by 1950 there were twenty-two. Sean Carroll, Discover Magazine, 10 May 2010 In the late nineteenth century, many liberal idealists believed that fair elections with universal suffrage could solve social problems, if only elites did not frustrate their outcomes through vote buying, ballot stuffing, intimidation, or selectively targeted public patronage. Andrew Moravcsik, Foreign Affairs, 22 Aug. 2023 The national security law was enacted in June 2020 following months of anti-government protests calling for political freedoms and universal suffrage. Kanis Leung, BostonGlobe.com, 29 May 2023 Willard supported third-party political movements that endorsed prohibition, universal suffrage and economic reforms. Christopher H. Evans, The Conversation, 1 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'universal suffrage.' 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

“Universal suffrage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/universal%20suffrage. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024.

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