suffrage

Definition

The right or chance to vote, express an opinion, or participate in a decision, especially in a democratic election.

Etymology

From Middle English suffrage (“prayers or pleas on behalf of another”), from Old French, from Medieval Latin suffragium, from Latin suffragium (“support, vote, right of voting”). The sense of "vote" or "right to vote" was directly derived from classical Latin.

Example Sentences

• "universal suffrage, women's suffrage, negro suffrage"
• "The issues to be presented to the people of the state were black suffrage and woman suffrage. The Equal Rights Association committed all its limited resources to the Kansas campaign."
• "What role did the House of Commons play in the political life of the nation in the aftermath of suffrage? There is surprisingly little historiography to help answer the question."

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