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Glite Dictionary
to affranchise

to affranchise

9.9
To free someone from slavery or forced work
  • verb
  • /əˈfrænˌtʃaɪz/
  • Archaic
translation icon : afranquiciar
  • After years of negotiation, the government decided to affranchise all bonded workers.

Examples

  • The government affranchised many slaves after the war.

  • Some reformers petitioned the king to affranchise the nation's serfs.

  • The movement aimed to affranchise those held in involuntary servitude.

  • They decided to affranchise the workers.

  • The activists worked tirelessly to affranchise those who had been enslaved for generations.

  • After the passing of the law, many former slaves were affranchised and granted equal rights.

  • The historical document detailed the efforts to affranchise individuals previously confined to servitude.

Synonyms

to set free
vsto affranchise
218 2.7

To let a person or animal go after keeping them in a place where they could not leave

covers freeing in a wider sense, including legal or social liberation
to liberate
vsto affranchise
70 4.2

Give equal rights and freedom to a group, for example women or minorities

is aimed specifically at freeing individuals from slavery or servitude
to emancipate
vsto affranchise
  • Formal
23 7.0

To set someone free from unfair control or rules so they have equal rights

focuses more narrowly on freeing from slavery or servitude specifically
to enfranchise
vsto affranchise
1 8.5

To give someone full citizenship and rights, often after slavery

is broader, meaning general granting of freedom from slavery or servitude

Antonyms

to enslave
  • NSFW
101 5.7

To force a person to work for someone else and take away their freedom

How Free

to emancipate
  • Formal
23 7.0
to affranchise
  • Archaic
9.9
release
279 1.8

Surface Forms

affranchise infinitive
affranchised past
affranchised past participle
affranchising present participle
affranchises third person singular

Morphology

affranchise = franchise (semi-transparent) = af + franchise

The verb is formed by prefixing 'af-' to 'franchise' (grant rights); the sense 'grant freedom' is historically related but somewhat archaic and less predictable for an average B1 learner.

Etymology

Affranchise comes from the old French word affranchir, which is like the English words frank and franchise and means 'free'. So, to affranchise someone is to give them 'freedom', especially from slavery or servitude.