Meaning & use
disenfranchise
Last updated
To deprive someone of a right, especially the right to vote, or of a privilege they previously held.
See it in a sentence
The new law was criticized for disenfranchising thousands of eligible voters.
Historically, poll taxes were used to disenfranchise poor citizens.
A note on using this word
Most commonly used in the context of voting rights, but can also refer more broadly to being deprived of power, opportunity, or status.
Words with a similar meaning
disempower
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
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