enfranchise

verb

in-ˈfran-ˌchīz How to pronounce enfranchise (audio)
Definition of enfranchisenext
as in to liberate
to set free (as from slavery or confinement) in a way, modern labor-saving appliances enfranchised people, giving them much more leisure time

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of enfranchise Open primaries would enfranchise more than a million New York voters, who are disproportionately young and represent communities of color. — John Avlon, New York Daily News, 7 July 2025 About a year after the infirmary team returned to the United States, the 19th Amendment became law, enfranchising 27 million women, the largest expansion of voting rights in American history. — Amy Sohn, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 June 2025 Some other states specifically prohibit localities from enfranchising noncitizens. — Jennifer Peltz, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2025 After the Third Reform Act of 1884, six of 10 adult Englishmen were enfranchised. — Geoffrey Wheatcroft, New York Times, 18 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for enfranchise
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enfranchise
  1. liberate
  2. free
  3. release
  4. emancipate
  5. rescue
  6. save
Verb
  • Personal revelations feel liberating under the Aquarius full moon.
    — USA TODAY, USA Today, 29 July 2026
  • Indeed, by then, the hypnotic spell had been cast across all of Europe, including on those liberated from the drab tyrannies of actually existing socialism.
    — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 28 July 2026
Definition of liberate
Verb
  • Better yet, the chairs tuck neatly beneath the table when playtime is over, freeing up valuable floor space when a blanket fort is suddenly requested.
    — Vy Yang, Architectural Digest, 31 July 2026
  • The aim of integrating AI into businesses is to boost productivity and free up resources for higher-order strategic thinking.
    — Ipsita Mohanty, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of free
Verb
  • An Iranian cargo vessel carrying vital supplies needed for medical treatment has been released after being seized by the US and held for 95 days, according to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency.
    — Mustafa Qadri, CNN Money, 28 July 2026
  • At sunset, everyone will release their lanterns across the water.
    — Mary Caldwell, AJC.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of release
Verb
  • In 1775, his first enslaver sold him to the commander of Framingham's Minute Men, who emancipated him, and Salem went on to fight at Lexington and Concord.
    — Catherine Messier, The Providence Journal, 4 July 2026
  • Finally, David ends the episode with a discussion of Shakespeare’s Othello and how ancient plays can emancipate readers from some of their modern prejudices.
    — David Frum, The Atlantic, 17 June 2026
Definition of emancipate
Verb
  • In nearby Yatsushiro, a chimney collapse at a Nippon Paper Industries factory killed five people while seven others were rescued from the debris, according to the Kumamoto prefectural government disaster team.
    — Mari Yamaguchi, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
  • From there, drive north to Moscow, about 40 minutes away, and check into the Monarch Motel, a mid-century motel rescued from disrepair in 2015.
    — Lauren Mowery, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of rescue
Verb
  • Tom Holland‘s Peter Parker made the difficult decision to erase his identity from the world in order to save the multiverse, leaving his girlfriend (Zendaya) and best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon) to forget about him.
    — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 2 Aug. 2026
  • The most obvious drawback is that the program doesn’t save money for New Yorkers overall.
    — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of save

Browse Nearby Words

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enfranchise
enfranchised
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Cite this Entry

“Enfranchise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enfranchise. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on enfranchise

Nglish: Translation of enfranchise for Spanish Speakers

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