WorldAugust 13, 2026
enfranchisement
en-FRAN-chize-ment
Definition
The act of granting someone the right to vote or protecting their ability to exercise that right.
Etymology
Derived from the Old French 'enfranchiss-', meaning to set free, combined with the suffix '-ment' to indicate an action or state. It originally referred to freeing someone from slavery or serfdom before evolving to refer specifically to political rights.
In the news
The judge used the word to explain that the importance of protecting citizens' voting rights outweighed the government's push for the executive order. It highlights the core democratic interest being weighed against potential administrative disruption.
Trump administration urges Supreme Court to rule soon on limiting vote-by-mail in midterms
Read the full article ↗The Daily Chronicle