Legal Definitions - enfranchise

Definition: Enfranchise (verb) means to grant voting rights or other rights of citizenship to a person or group. It can also mean to set free, as from slavery.

• After years of fighting for their rights, women were finally enfranchised and given the right to vote.
• The Civil Rights Act of 1964 enfranchised African Americans and ended segregation in public places.
• Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation enfranchised slaves and set them free from bondage.

The examples illustrate how enfranchisement can be used to grant rights and freedoms to individuals or groups who have been historically marginalized or oppressed. In the first example, women were granted the right to vote after a long struggle for equality. In the second example, African Americans were given equal rights under the law and the ability to participate fully in society. In the third example, slaves were set free from bondage and given the opportunity to live as free citizens. Enfranchisement is a powerful tool for promoting equality and justice.