noun1. the franchise
2. any exemption, privilege, or right granted to an individual or group by a public authority, such as the right to use publicproperty for a business
3. businessa. authorization granted by a manufacturing or entertainment enterprise to market its products
b. an organization that holds such an authorization
4. the full rights of citizenship
5. a film, video game, etc that is or has the potential to be part of a series and lends itself to merchandising
6. (in marine insurance) a sum or percentage stated in a policy, below which the insurer disclaims all liability
verb7. (transitive) business, mainly US and Canadian to grant (a person, firm, etc) a franchise
8. an obsolete word for enfranchise
Word origin
C13: from Old French, from
franchir to set free, from
franc free; see
frank