disenfranchisement

IPA/ˌdɪs.ɪnˈfræn.tʃaɪz.mənt/
KK[dɪsɪnfrˈæntʃˌaɪzmənt]IPA/ˌdɪs.ɪnˈfræn.tʃaɪz.mənt/

disenfranchisement — noun

1. the formal removal of a person's or group's legal right to vote in elections

1.名詞C1
釋義

the formal removal of a person's or group's legal right to vote in elections

例句

After the 1890 state convention, Mississippi began the systematic disenfranchisement of Black citizens.

collocation: systematic disenfranchisement

A Council of Europe report condemned the disenfranchisement of Roma communities in several member states.

同義詞
  • disfranchisement

    less common variant with the same meaning

  • voter suppression

    narrower — specifically tactics that make voting harder, rather than formal legal removal of the right

反義詞

文法句型

disenfranchisement of [group]

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 2 (FEELING OF POWERLESSNESS): this sense describes a concrete legal or political action, not an internal experience. Subject is usually a government, law, or institution.

常見錯誤

Voter disenfranchisement means they feel left out of politics.
Voter disenfranchisement means they were prevented from casting a ballot.
💡sense 1 refers to the legal act of removing voting rights, not the emotional response.

2. a deep-seated feeling of being shut out of political life: the conviction that n

2.名詞C1
釋義

a deep-seated feeling of being shut out of political life: the conviction that no one represents you, your concerns go unheard, and you lack the power to change anything

例句

When the council closed their community centre, residents of the Broadwater estate described a profound sense of disenfranchisement.

disenfranchisement as a felt experience, not a legal action

Rania described her disenfranchisement as a young mother whose concerns were always ignored.

同義詞
  • alienation

    broader — can apply to any kind of estrangement, not just political

  • marginalisation

    focuses on being pushed to the edges of society rather than the feeling itself

  • powerlessness

    more general — does not necessarily involve politics or representation

反義詞
  • empowerment

    the process of gaining control and influence over one's situation

文法句型

a sense of disenfranchisement

feeling of disenfranchisement

用法筆記

Frequently used with 'sense of' or 'feeling of'. Distinguish from sense 1 (REMOVAL OF VOTING RIGHTS), which refers to the legal act of stripping voting rights rather than a felt experience.

常見錯誤

The government carried out the disenfranchisement of young people through social media.
Young people experienced a growing disenfranchisement as their concerns went unheard.
💡sense 2 describes a state of feeling or exclusion, not a formal legal process.