 |
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Franchise \Fran"chise\ (? or ?; 277), noun [F., fr. franc, fem. franche, free. See {Frank}, adjective]
1. Exemption from constraint or oppression; freedom; liberty. [Obs.] --Spenser.
2. (LAw) A particular privilege conferred by grant from a sovereign or a government, and vested in individuals; an immunity or exemption from ordinary jurisdiction; a constitutional or statutory right or privilege, esp. the right to vote.
Election by universal suffrage, as modified by the Constitution, is the one crowning franchise of the American people. --W. H. Seward.
3. The district or jurisdiction to which a particular privilege extends; the limits of an immunity; hence, an asylum or sanctuary.
Churches and mobasteries in Spain are franchises for criminals. --London Encyc.
4. Magnanimity; generosity; liberality; frankness; nobility. ''Franchise in woman.'' [Obs.] --Chaucer.
{Elective franchise}, the privilege or right of voting in an election of public officers.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Franchise \Fran"chise\, verb (used with an object) [imp. & p. p. {Franchised}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Franchising}.] [Cf. OF. franchir to free, F., to cross.] To make free; to enfranchise; to give liberty to. --Shak.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
franchise
noun
1: an authorization to sell a company's goods or services in a particular place
2: a business established or operated under an authorization to sell or distribute a company's goods or services in a particular area [syn: {dealership}]
3: a statutory right or privilege granted to a person or group by a government (especially the rights of citizenship and the right to vote) [syn: {enfranchisement}]
verb: grant a franchise to
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
105 Moby Thesaurus words for "franchise": Australian ballot, Hare system, affranchise, authorize, aye, ballot, blank check, brevet, canvass, canvassing, carte blanche, casting vote, certificate, certify, charter, concession, copyright, counting heads, cumulative voting, deciding vote, diploma, diplomatic immunity, discharge, dispensation, division, empower, enable, enfranchise, enfranchisement, entitle, exception, exemption, fagot vote, favor, female suffrage, freedom, give official sanction, give power, grant, graveyard vote, hand vote, household franchise, immunity, indulgence, legalize, legislative immunity, legitimize, letters patent, liberty, license, list system, manhood suffrage, nay, no, nontransferable vote, patent, permission, plebiscite, plebiscitum, plumper, plural vote, poll, polling, preferential voting, privilege, proportional representation, proxy, ratify, record vote, referendum, release, representation, right to vote, rising vote, royal grant, sanction, say, secret ballot, show of hands, single vote, snap vote, special favor, straw vote, suffrage, suffragette, suffragettism, suffragism, suffragist, the vote, transferable vote, universal suffrage, validate, viva voce, voice, voice vote, vote, voting, voting right, warrant, woman-suffragist, write-in, write-in vote, yea, yeas and nays, yes
 |
Definitions retrieved from local copies of the freely distributed DICT client/server software and databases. Click here for database copyright information. - KM |