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disenfranchised

adjective

dis·​en·​fran·​chised ˌdis-in-ˈfran-ˌchīzd How to pronounce disenfranchised (audio)
: deprived of some right, privilege, or immunity
Tough, resourceful, and determined to help her disenfranchised and disenchanted students learn how to learn and love it, Johnson employs a barrage of techniques.Donna Seaman
The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill does what it can, but the millions of mentally ill remain the least supported, the most disenfranchised, and the most excluded people in our society today.Oliver Sacks
especially : deprived of the right to vote
The value of the right to vote, however, given the reality of racial voting patterns, will depend on whether it translates into political power and influence for the previously disenfranchised minority. Alan Freeman

Examples of disenfranchised in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web But its population is deeply disenfranchised, impoverished, and increasingly alienated from the federal government by decades of policies widely seen as discriminatory. Sophia Saifi, CNN, 31 Aug. 2024 The panel ruled the group is entitled to move forward with its claim, and said the remaining issue of whether the disenfranchised votes were sufficient to change the outcome of the election is for the Superior Court to determine. Sarah Lapidus, The Arizona Republic, 15 July 2024 That group’s virulent anti-Shiism and its promise to resurrect the Islamic caliphate, which served as the seat of Sunni power in earlier eras, appealed to disenfranchised Sunnis in the expanse that stretches from Damascus to Baghdad. Vali Nasr, Foreign Affairs, 2 Dec. 2021 Felons convicted of murder, rape, treason, or voter fraud after May 18, 1981, are permanently disenfranchised, absent a pardon. Rachel Barber, USA TODAY, 2 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for disenfranchised 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'disenfranchised.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1818, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of disenfranchised was in 1818

Dictionary Entries Near disenfranchised

Cite this Entry

“Disenfranchised.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disenfranchised. Accessed 28 Sep. 2024.

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