suffrage

noun

suf·frage ˈsə-frij How to pronounce suffrage (audio)

sometimes -fə-rij

: a short intercessory prayer usually in a series

: a vote given in deciding a controverted question or electing a person for an office or trust

: the right of voting : franchise

also : the exercise of such right

Did you know?

Why would a 17th-century writer warn people that a chapel was only for "private or secret suffrages"? Because suffrage has been used since the 14th century to mean "prayer" (especially a prayer requesting divine help or intercession). So how did suffrage come to mean "a vote" or "the right to vote"? To answer that, we must look to the word's Medieval Latin ancestor, suffrāgium, which can be translated as meaning "vote," "support," or "prayer." That term produced descendants in a number of languages, and English picked up its senses of suffrage from two different places. We took the "prayer" sense from a Middle French suffrāgium offspring that emphasized the word's spiritual aspects, and we elected to adopt the "voting" senses directly from the original Latin.

Example Sentences

women who fought for suffrage even as the world entered the 21st century, some nations still did not permit women's suffrage

Recent Examples on the Web In one notorious incident, protesters broke into the city’s legislative chamber, defacing it with graffiti calling for universal suffrage while hanging the colonial flag on the council president’s seat.

Kathleen Magramo, CNN, 15 Sep. 2022 The divorce seekers, concerned primarily with their own situations, were certainly not revolutionaries like their contemporaries who were marching in the streets for suffrage.

Barbara Spindel, WSJ, 16 Aug. 2022 Writers for Democratic Action works to bring the literary community together to demand racial and economic justice, resist white supremacy, and work for suffrage for all.

BostonGlobe.com, 2 Sep. 2021 Rochester was also where the prosperity of early manufacturing gave Frederick Douglass the patronage required to found his newspaper The North Star and allowed Susan B. Anthony the leisure time to organize for suffrage.

Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 16 June 2021 Hong Kong was not accustomed to political prisoners until the jailing of student leaders Joshua Wong, Nathan Law and Alex Chow in 2017 for their roles in the Umbrella Movement protests three years earlier that called for universal suffrage.

David Pierson, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2021 These tensions escalated in 2019 when masses of Hong Kong residents took to the streets in protests for months, calling in part for universal suffrage.

New York Times, 23 Feb. 2021 This spirited history situates the campaign for female suffrage within the broader narrative of civil rights.

The New Yorker, 16 Nov. 2020 At the state level, however, the push for youth suffrage gained some momentum.

Manisha Claire, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Nov. 2020 See More

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, "help, aid, intercessory prayer, indulgence," borrowed from Middle French & Medieval Latin; Middle French, borrowed from Medieval Latin suffrāgium "vote, selection, aid, support, intercessory prayer," going back to Latin, "vote cast in an assembly, right to vote, decision reached by a vote, influence exerted in support of a candidate or policy," from suffrāgor, suffrāgārī "to express public support (for a candidate, measure, etc.), be favorable (toward)" (from suf-, assimilated form of sub- sub- + -frāg-, probably from the base of frangere, past participle frāctus, "to break, shatter") + -ium, deverbal suffix of function or state — more at break entry 1

Note: Senses of suffrage having to do with voting were borrowed directly from classical Latin from the 16th century onward. The older literal meaning of Latin suffrāgārī that presumably underlies the attested senses having to do with political support and voting is obscure. Though the identity of suf- is clear, the element -frāg- has been subject to varying analyses. The most commonly accepted view sees -frāg- —despite the unexpected vowel length—as representing the verb frangere, though the import is not obvious. The idea that the reference is to the use of broken pieces of tile or pottery in voting is unlikely in view of what is known of earlier Roman election practices; moreover, the primary meaning of the verb suffrāgārī is more oriented toward support of a candidate than the mechanics of voting. In a revival of an older analysis Jyri Vaahtera connects -frāg- with the noun fragor "noise of breaking, crash, noisy clamor, shouting," and assumes that the verb alluded to the noise of an armed assembly banging weapons as a sign of acclamation (see "The origin of Latin suffrāgium," Glotta, vol. 61 [1993], pp. 66-80.)

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

单词	suffrage
释义	suffrage noun suf·frage ˈsə-frij sometimes -fə-rij 1 : a short intercessory prayer usually in a series 2 : a vote given in deciding a controverted question or electing a person for an office or trust 3 : the right of voting : franchise also : the exercise of such right Did you know? Why would a 17th-century writer warn people that a chapel was only for "private or secret suffrages"? Because suffrage has been used since the 14th century to mean "prayer" (especially a prayer requesting divine help or intercession). So how did suffrage come to mean "a vote" or "the right to vote"? To answer that, we must look to the word's Medieval Latin ancestor, suffrāgium, which can be translated as meaning "vote," "support," or "prayer." That term produced descendants in a number of languages, and English picked up its senses of suffrage from two different places. We took the "prayer" sense from a Middle French suffrāgium offspring that emphasized the word's spiritual aspects, and we elected to adopt the "voting" senses directly from the original Latin. Synonyms ballot enfranchisement franchise vote See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences women who fought for suffrage even as the world entered the 21st century, some nations still did not permit women's suffrage Recent Examples on the Web In one notorious incident, protesters broke into the city’s legislative chamber, defacing it with graffiti calling for universal suffrage while hanging the colonial flag on the council president’s seat. Kathleen Magramo, CNN, 15 Sep. 2022 The divorce seekers, concerned primarily with their own situations, were certainly not revolutionaries like their contemporaries who were marching in the streets for suffrage. Barbara Spindel, WSJ, 16 Aug. 2022 Writers for Democratic Action works to bring the literary community together to demand racial and economic justice, resist white supremacy, and work for suffrage for all. BostonGlobe.com, 2 Sep. 2021 Rochester was also where the prosperity of early manufacturing gave Frederick Douglass the patronage required to found his newspaper The North Star and allowed Susan B. Anthony the leisure time to organize for suffrage. Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 16 June 2021 Hong Kong was not accustomed to political prisoners until the jailing of student leaders Joshua Wong, Nathan Law and Alex Chow in 2017 for their roles in the Umbrella Movement protests three years earlier that called for universal suffrage. David Pierson, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2021 These tensions escalated in 2019 when masses of Hong Kong residents took to the streets in protests for months, calling in part for universal suffrage. New York Times, 23 Feb. 2021 This spirited history situates the campaign for female suffrage within the broader narrative of civil rights. The New Yorker, 16 Nov. 2020 At the state level, however, the push for youth suffrage gained some momentum. Manisha Claire, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Nov. 2020 See More Word History Etymology Middle English, "help, aid, intercessory prayer, indulgence," borrowed from Middle French & Medieval Latin; Middle French, borrowed from Medieval Latin suffrāgium "vote, selection, aid, support, intercessory prayer," going back to Latin, "vote cast in an assembly, right to vote, decision reached by a vote, influence exerted in support of a candidate or policy," from suffrāgor, suffrāgārī "to express public support (for a candidate, measure, etc.), be favorable (toward)" (from suf-, assimilated form of sub- sub- + -frāg-, probably from the base of frangere, past participle frāctus, "to break, shatter") + -ium, deverbal suffix of function or state — more at break entry 1 Note: Senses of suffrage having to do with voting were borrowed directly from classical Latin from the 16th century onward. The older literal meaning of Latin suffrāgārī that presumably underlies the attested senses having to do with political support and voting is obscure. Though the identity of suf- is clear, the element -frāg- has been subject to varying analyses. The most commonly accepted view sees -frāg- —despite the unexpected vowel length—as representing the verb frangere, though the import is not obvious. The idea that the reference is to the use of broken pieces of tile or pottery in voting is unlikely in view of what is known of earlier Roman election practices; moreover, the primary meaning of the verb suffrāgārī is more oriented toward support of a candidate than the mechanics of voting. In a revival of an older analysis Jyri Vaahtera connects -frāg- with the noun fragor "noise of breaking, crash, noisy clamor, shouting," and assumes that the verb alluded to the noise of an armed assembly banging weapons as a sign of acclamation (see "The origin of Latin suffrāgium," Glotta, vol. 61 [1993], pp. 66-80.) First Known Use 14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Phrases Containing suffrage woman suffrage universal suffrage woman suffrage universal suffrage Kids Definition suffrage noun suf·frage ˈsə-frij : the right to vote Legal Definition suffrage noun suf·frage ˈsə-frij 1 : a vote in deciding a controverted question or the choice of a person for an office or trust no State…shall be deprived of its equal suffrage in the Senate U.S. Constitution art. V 2 : the right of voting : franchise also : the exercise of such right History and Etymology for suffrage Latin suffragium vote, political support, from suffragari to support with one's vote suffrage noun as in vote the right to formally express one's position or will in an election even as the world entered the 21st century, some nations still did not permit women's suffrage Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance vote franchise enfranchisement ballot say voice say-so Antonyms & Near Antonyms disenfranchisement
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suffrage

noun

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Phrases Containing suffrage

Kids Definition

noun

Legal Definition

noun

noun