What does enfranchised mean?
Enfranchised describes someone who has been granted the rights of citizenship — above all, the right to vote. It is most commonly used as the past tense and past participle of the verb 'enfranchise,' as when a law enfranchised women, former slaves, or adults without property. The word can also function as an adjective, as in 'the newly enfranchised electorate,' and by extension it may describe anyone freed from political or social exclusion and given a genuine voice in public affairs. Its opposite is 'disenfranchised,' a term for those stripped of or denied such rights. Because the expansion of the franchise is central to the history of modern democracy, 'enfranchised' appears constantly in discussions of civil rights, constitutional reform, and electoral history, carrying strong positive connotations of empowerment, inclusion, and hard-won justice.
Past tense and past participle of enfranchise: granted the right to vote or the full rights of citizenship; freed from constraint or exclusion.
"The Reform Act of 1867 enfranchised many urban working-class men in Britain."
Having been granted voting rights or full civic rights and privileges.
"The enfranchised population doubled overnight after the reform passed."
When American women were finally enfranchised in 1920, the word literally means they were 'made free' — from the same Old French root that gives us 'frank' and 'franchise.'
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of enfranchised
Enfranchised derives ultimately from Old French 'franchir,' meaning to free, itself from 'franc,' meaning free — a word of Frankish origin referring originally to the Franks, the Germanic people who held free status in Gaul. English adopted 'enfranchise' via Anglo-Norman French in the late Middle Ages (attested from around the early 15th century), initially meaning to set free from servitude or to grant charter privileges, later narrowing to mean granting voting rights. The same root gives us 'franchise,' 'frank,' and the name of the currency 'franc.'
Related word forms
How enfranchised is actually used
Most often encountered in political and historical contexts concerning suffrage and civil rights. As an adjective it frequently appears in the phrase 'the newly enfranchised,' referring to groups that have just gained voting rights. It carries a positive connotation of empowerment and inclusion.
Easily confused with enfranchised
"Disenchanted" means disillusioned or disappointed, while "enfranchised" means granted voting or citizenship rights.