disenfranchise
verb
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What Does It Mean to Disenfranchise Someone?
Disenfranchise first appeared in English in the 17th century, preceded for a period of some 200 years by the now uncommon word disfranchise. Though both words are, rather obviously, related to franchise, they have nothing to do with that word’s current sense “a team that is a member of a professional sports league." The original meaning of franchise was “freedom from servitude or restraint.” Although disenfranchise does broadly signify depriving someone of any of a number of legal rights, it is most often used today of withholding the right to vote, or of the diminished social or political status of a marginalized group.
Examples of disenfranchise in a Sentence
Aaron Navarro, CBS News, 1 May 2026
Wednesday’s case derived from a legal challenge from a group of white voters, some of whom didn’t know they were named in litigation, who said Louisiana legislators’ creation of two minority-majority voting districts following the 2020 census disenfranchised them.
—Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 29 Apr. 2026
Republicans have reacted by complaining that conservative-leaning voters in the state have been disenfranchised by gerrymandered maps that reduce the influence of their vote.
—Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 22 Apr. 2026
Doing so will disenfranchise small mom-and-pop property owners who depend on rental properties for their retirement and to make ends meet.
—City News Service, Daily News, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for disenfranchise
Cite this Entry
“Disenfranchise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disenfranchise. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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disenfranchise
verb
Legal Definition
disenfranchise
transitive verb
