disenfranchised

[ dis-en-fran-chahyzd ]

adjective

1. deprived of any of the rights or privileges of citizens, especially the right to vote:

   Given the illegal requirements reportedly imposed at some polling places, we can expect a lot of lawsuits from disenfranchised citizens.

2. deprived of the rights or privileges of full participation in society or in any community or organization, especially of the opportunity to influence policy or to make one’s voice heard:

   A session on LGBTQ literature provided concrete examples and professional resources to support this often disenfranchised group.

3. deprived of a legal or commercial franchise:

   A disenfranchised Noodles Only franchisee has opened up about his struggles operating in the town’s “business graveyard.”

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of disenfranchise ( def ).

Other Words From

• non·dis·en·fran·chised adjective
• un·dis·en·fran·chised adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of disenfranchised¹

First recorded in 1810–20; disenfranchise ( def ) + -ed ²( def )

Example Sentences

Ross’ 2018 Oscar-nominated documentary, “Hale County This Morning, This Evening,” depicted the lives of Black people in a disenfranchised Alabama community with powerful, poetic imagery that demanded your full attention.

From Los Angeles Times

The camp also wanted to make the experience more inclusive for historically disenfranchised neighborhoods throughout South L.A.

From Los Angeles Times

“We give voters lots of opportunities to make sure they’re not disenfranchised,” Alexander said.

From Los Angeles Times

However, some have argued this simply created a new pathway for medical schools to continue using bodies from disenfranchised communities.

From Salon

“You statistically can go and say, ‘Look, you got disenfranchised in 25 counties.

From Salon

Related Words

• defenseless
• helpless
• impotent
• incapable
• ineffective
• ineffectual
• inert
• paralyzed
• passive
• vulnerable
• weak