01 n. Exemption from constraint or oppression; freedom; liberty.
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1.
Exemption from constraint or oppression; freedom; liberty.[Obs.]
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2.
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.(LAw)“Election by universal suffrage, as modified by the Constitution, is the one crowning franchise of the American people.” — W. H. Seward.
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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.
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4.
Magnanimity; generosity; liberality; frankness; nobility.[Obs.]
Phrases & compounds
Elective franchise —
the privilege or right of voting in an election of public officers.