Legal Definitions - enfranchise

Enfranchise refers to the act of granting a right or privilege to an individual or group, most commonly the right to vote. It can also mean to liberate someone from a state of bondage or oppression.

• Example 1: Imagine a country where, for many years, only landowners were permitted to vote in national elections. After a period of social reform, the government passes legislation that extends voting rights to all adult citizens, regardless of whether they own property. This new law enfranchises millions of people who were previously excluded from the democratic process.

  Explanation: This scenario demonstrates the primary meaning of enfranchise by showing how a large segment of the population is granted the fundamental right to vote, thereby gaining a voice in their governance.

• Example 2: Historically, many nations had laws that prevented women from owning property, entering certain professions, or participating in political life. When these discriminatory laws were repealed, and women were granted equal legal standing, including the right to own property and pursue any career, they were effectively enfranchised with these new civil rights.

  Explanation: Here, enfranchisement refers to the granting of broader civil and economic rights, moving beyond just voting to include other significant privileges of full citizenship.

• Example 3: Consider a historical period where a specific group of people was held in servitude, denied personal liberty, and treated as property. When a decree or law was issued that abolished this system and declared these individuals free, granting them personal autonomy and the ability to live independently, it enfranchised them from their former state of bondage.

  Explanation: This example illustrates the secondary meaning of enfranchise, which involves setting someone free from slavery or a similar form of severe oppression, thereby granting them basic human freedom.