enfranchir

Enfranchir is a French verb that primarily means to grant the franchise or to liberate. It can also signify freeing someone from oppression or servitude, and historically it has been used to describe the extension of civil or political rights, especially the right to vote, to a group of people. In modern usage, the term tends to appear in formal, legal, or historical contexts.

Etymology and sense: enfranchir derives from en- plus franchir, related to the noun franchise and the adjective franc(ce) meaning free. The core semantic field centers on freedom, rights, and privileges. The verb is often encountered in discussions of emancipation, reform, or the granting of civic privileges to towns, ethnic groups, or citizens.

Usage: today, enfranchir is relatively formal and mainly found in historical writing, legal documents, or rhetorical passages. Exemplary senses include enfranchir une population, enfranchir une ville by granting civil rights or privileges, or enfranchir des individus from oppression or bondage. In historical contexts, it is frequently used to describe the process of extending suffrage or civil rights to formerly restricted groups.

Conjugation: enfranchir is a regular -ir verb. Present tense: j'enfranchise? No; correct forms are: j'enfranchis, tu enfranchis, il enfranchit, nous enfranchissons, vous enfranchissez, ils enfranchissent. Passé composé uses avoir: j'ai enfranchi. Present participle: enfranchissant. Past participle: enfranchi.

See also: franchise, suffrage, emancipation.

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