• IPA: /ˈfɹænt͡ʃaɪ̯z/

From Middle English franchise, fraunchise, from Old French franchise, a derivative of franc ("free").

franchise

1. The right to vote at a public election or referendum; see: suffrage.
2. A right or privilege officially granted to a person, a group of people, or a company by a government.
   • a. 1872, William H. Seward, debate

     Election by universal suffrage, as modified by the Constitution, is the one crowning franchise of the American people.

3. An acknowledgment of a corporation's existence and ownership.
4. The authorization granted by a company to sell or distribute its goods or services in a certain area.

   McDonald’s has exported its franchise.

5. A business operating under such authorization, a franchisee.
6. A legal exemption from jurisdiction.
7. The membership of a corporation or state; citizenship.
8. The district or jurisdiction to which a particular privilege extends; the limits of an immunity; hence, an asylum or sanctuary.
   • 1810, “Franchise”, in James Millar, editor, Encyclopaedia Britannica:

     Churches and monasteries in Spain are franchises for criminals.

9. (sports) The collection of organizations in the history of a sports team; the tradition of a sports team as an entity, extending beyond the contemporary organization.

   The Whalers' home city of Hartford was one of many for the franchise.

10. (business, marketing) The positive influence on the buying behavior of customers exerted by the reputation of a company or a brand.
11. The loose collection of fictional works pertaining to a particular fictional universe, including literary, film or television series from various sources, generally when all authorized by a copyright holder or similar authority.

    the Star Wars franchise

12. Exemption from constraint or oppression; freedom; liberty.
    • 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book IV, Canto IX”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC ↗:

      Ye […] the love of ladies foule defame;
      To whom the world this franchise ever yeelded,
      That of their loves choise they might freedom clame.

13. (obsolete) Magnanimity; generosity; liberality; frankness; nobility.

• (business operating under franchise) franchisee, concession

• French: concession
• German: Konzession, behördliche Genehmigung
• Portuguese: concessão
• Spanish: concesión

• French: franchise
• German: Franchise
• Portuguese: franquia, franchising
• Russian: франши́за
• Spanish: franquicia

• Portuguese: franquia, franchise

• Spanish: franquicia

• French: droit de vote
• German: Wahlrecht
• Italian: diritto di voto
• Spanish: derecho a sufragio, derecho de voto, sufragio activo, derecho de sufragio

• French: franchise
• Portuguese: franquia

From Middle English franchisen, fraunchisen, from Old French franchir, from franc ("free").

franchise (franchises, present participle franchising; simple past and past participle franchised)

1. (transitive) To confer certain powers on; grant a franchise to; authorize.
2. (transitive, rare) To set free; invest with a franchise or privilege; enfranchise.
3. (transitive) To give to others the rights to sell or distribute (goods or services).

• Portuguese: franquiar
• Spanish: franquiciar