To disenfranchise someone means to take away their right to vote or to deprive them of other basic rights and privileges. When people are disenfranchised, they lose their voice in decisions that affect their lives.

Throughout history, many groups have been disenfranchised in different countries. For much of American history, women were disenfranchised and couldn't vote in elections. After the Civil War, some states used unfair laws and tests to disenfranchise Black citizens who were supposed to have voting rights. Today, we might say that people in prison are disenfranchised if they can't vote while serving their sentence.

The word can also describe making someone feel powerless or excluded more broadly. If a school makes major decisions without asking students for any input, students might feel disenfranchised, even though they don't literally vote on school policies. The feeling is similar: your voice doesn't count, and you have no say in what happens.

The opposite is enfranchise, which means to give someone voting rights or power. When the 19th Amendment passed in 1920, it enfranchised women across the United States. Understanding disenfranchisement helps us appreciate why the right to vote and participate matters so much: being able to have your say is fundamental to being treated fairly.