enfranchise

English

WOTD – 6 June 2012

Etymology

From Old French enfranchir (“to set free, enfranchise”), from en- (“in”) + franchir (“to set free”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɛnˈfɹænt͡ʃaɪz/

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

Verb

enfranchise (third-person singular simple present enfranchises, present participle enfranchising, simple past and past participle enfranchised)

1. To grant the franchise to an entity, specifically:
   1. To grant the privilege of voting to a person or group of people.
   2. To grant municipal or parliamentary rights to an entity such as a city or constituency.
   3. To grant freedom from slavery or servitude.

Translations

to grant the privilege of voting

• Armenian: ընտրական իրավունք տալ (əntrakan iravunkʿ tal)
• Dutch: stemrecht verlenen
• Finnish: antaa äänioikeus

• Russian: дава́ть избира́тельное пра́во impf (davátʹ izbirátelʹnoje právo)
• Swedish: ge rösträtt

to grant municipal or parliamentary rights

• Dutch: stadsrecht verlenen
• Finnish: myöntää kaupunkioikeudet (municipal), perustaa vaalipiiri (parliamentary)

• Swedish: ge stadsprivilegier (municipal), ge stadsrättigheter (municipal)

to grant freedom from servitude

• Armenian: ազատել (hy) (azatel), ազատագրել (hy) (azatagrel)
• Dutch: bevrijden van slavernij
• Finnish: vapauttaa (fi)

• Hungarian: felszabadít (hu)
• Russian: освобожда́ть (ru) impf (osvoboždátʹ), освободи́ть (ru) pf (osvobodítʹ)
• Swedish: befria (sv), frige

Related terms

• franchise
• disenfranchise