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suffrage

 - 6 dictionary results

suf⋅frage

  [suhf-rij]
Use suffrage in a Sentence
–noun
1. the right to vote, esp. in a political election.
2. a vote given in favor of a proposed measure, candidate, or the like.
3. Ecclesiastical. a prayer, esp. a short intercessory prayer or petition.
Origin:
1350–1400; ME < L suffrāgium voting tablet, vote, equiv. to L suffrāg(ārī) to vote for, support + -ium -ium
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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suf·frage   (sŭf'rĭj)   
n.  

    1. The right or privilege of voting; franchise.

    2. The exercise of such a right.

  2. A vote cast in deciding a disputed question or in electing a person to office.

  3. A short intercessory prayer.


[Middle English, intercessory prayer, from Old French, from Medieval Latin suffrāgium, from Latin, the right to vote, from suffrāgārī, to express support; see bhreg- in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Cultural Dictionary

suffrage [(suf-rij)]

The right to vote (see franchise). In the United States, the term is often associated with the women's movement to win voting rights. (See suffragist.)

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

suffrage 
c.1380, "prayers or pleas on behalf of another," from O.Fr. suffrage (13c.), from M.L. suffragium, from L. suffragium "support, vote, right of voting," from suffragari "lend support, vote for someone," from sub "under" + fragor "crash, din, shouts (as of approval)," related to frangere "to break" (see fraction). The meaning "right to vote" is first found in the U.S. Constitution, 1787.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: suf·frage
Pronunciation: 's&-frij
Function: noun
Etymology: Latin suffragium vote, political support, from suffragari to support with one's vote
1 : a vote in deciding a controverted question or the choice of a person for an office or trust suffrage in the Senate —U.S. Constitution article V>
2 : the right of voting : FRANCHISE; also : the exercise of such right
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Encyclopedia

suffrage

in representative government, the right to vote in electing public officials and adopting or rejecting proposed legislation.

Learn more about suffrage with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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