Definition

Noun: * The right to vote in political elections for all adult citizens: The principle or practice of extending the voting franchise to nearly all adult members of a society, typically without restrictions based on sex, race, religion, or property ownership. Certain legal disqualifications, such as for non-citizens, minors, or individuals declared mentally incompetent, may still apply.

Usage

• Universal suffrage is a fundamental principle of modern democratic systems.
• The struggle for universal suffrage was a long and difficult process in many nations.
• A country cannot claim to be a full democracy without universal suffrage.

Examples

• The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution granted universal suffrage to women.
• The movement demanded universal suffrage, arguing that every citizen should have a voice in government.
• While many nations have universal suffrage, voter turnout can still be low.

Advanced Usage

• "to achieve/establish/implement universal suffrage": To successfully put this right into practice.
  • The country achieved universal suffrage after decades of protest.
• "a campaign/fight/struggle for universal suffrage": A concerted effort to obtain this right.
  • The 20th century saw a global struggle for universal suffrage.

Variants and Related Words

• Suffrage (n): The right to vote in political elections; synonymous with "franchise."
  • The suffragettes fought for women's suffrage.
• Franchise (n): The right to vote.
  • The Reform Acts extended the franchise to more men.

Synonyms

• Full franchise
• General suffrage

Antonyms

• Limited suffrage
• Restricted franchise
• Census suffrage (voting rights based on property or tax qualifications)

Related Phrases

• "One person, one vote": A phrase expressing the democratic principle that all votes should have equal weight, closely associated with the ideal of universal suffrage.

Noun

1. suffrage for all adults who are not disqualified by the laws of the country