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 The state is an outlier in taking days to count most votes, but supporters of the system say it is designed to enfranchise more people while protecting against fraud. — Praveena Somasundaram, Washington Post, 6 June 2026 The Radical Republican Congressman Thaddeus Stevens, as Michael Waldman writes in The Fight to Vote, was even blunter than Sumner about the necessity of enfranchising Black men. — Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 19 May 2026 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
  • When the United States invaded the Philippines during the Spanish-American War, Twain naively imagined that the country would be liberated and turned into a republic.
    — Ron Chernow, The Atlantic, 2 July 2026
  • Automation that was meant to liberate becomes a maze of fragile scripts and blame-shifting alerts.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of liberate
Verb
  • Crews stabilized the pickup before performing a technical extrication to free the driver.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 4 July 2026
  • The flywheel does not need to be replaced every 3-5 years and can be installed outdoors, freeing up more space and cash for compute.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 3 July 2026
Definition of free
Verb
  • Nuclear fusion is the process of combining two hydrogen atoms to form one helium atom, releasing huge amounts of energy.
    — Kai Nicol-Schwarz, CNBC, 7 July 2026
  • Prior to the hearing, the Kirk family released a statement on social media.
    — Christine Pelisek, PEOPLE, 7 July 2026
Definition of release
Verb
  • 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
  • The long shadow of the occupation Twenty-three years after George Bush and Tony Blair resolved that Iraqis were to be emancipated, the country remains captive to a masquerade of power.
    — Nabil Salih, Time, 26 May 2026
Definition of emancipate
Verb
  • Analysts credit the 2011 purchase of NBCUniversal as a huge success; Comcast rescued a company that was on the ropes due to General Electric’s under-investment.
    — Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
  • The infant, who is 9 months old, was rescued along with her mother, the State Department told Fox News Digital.
    — Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of rescue
Verb
  • There’s a bunch of new things across most of the 2026 range, mainly cosmetic, but also hardware and weight-saving stuff as well.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 July 2026
  • The measure could incentivize lawmakers to save more money because funds tucked away in the rainy day fund would no longer be considered expenditures counted toward the spending limit.
    — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 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 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on enfranchise

Nglish: Translation of enfranchise for Spanish Speakers

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