affranchise
/ə'fræntʃaiz/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Verb:
- To grant freedom to; to liberate from slavery or servitude: The word "affranchise" specifically means to release someone from a state of bondage or servitude, granting them the status of a free person. It is a formal and somewhat archaic term.
Usage
- The verb "affranchise" is transitive and requires a direct object (the person or group being freed). It is used in formal or historical contexts, often related to legal or social emancipation.
- Example:
Examples
- Verb:
- The decree was passed to affranchise all serfs living on the royal estates.
- Historians debate which factors ultimately led the empire to affranchise its slaves.
Advanced Usage
- "to affranchise from": This construction can be used to specify the condition or system from which someone is freed.
- The treaty aimed to affranchise the population from feudal obligations.
Variants and Related Words
- Affranchisement (n): The act of affranchising or the state of being affranchised.
- The affranchisement of the captives was celebrated throughout the city.
Synonyms
- Emancipate: To set free, especially from legal, social, or political restrictions.
- Manumit: To release from slavery (a term used specifically in the context of slavery).
- Liberate: To set someone free from a situation, especially imprisonment or oppression.
- Enfranchise: To grant freedom or a franchise, such as the right to vote. (Note: "Enfranchise" is a close synonym but can have a broader meaning related to granting rights.)
Antonyms
- Enslave: To make someone a slave.
- The conquerors sought to enslave the local population.
- Subjugate: To bring under domination or control, especially by conquest.
Verb
- grant freedom to; as from slavery or servitude
- Slaves were enfranchised in the mid-19th century