fran·chise /ˈfrænˌʧaɪz/
 公民權,特權,免賠額(vt.)給以特權


 franchise
 特權


 Fran·chise n.
 1. Exemption from constraint or oppression; freedom; liberty. [Obs.]
 2. LAw A particular privilege conferred by grant from a sovereign or a government, and vested in individuals; an immunity or exemption from ordinary jurisdiction; a constitutional or statutory right or privilege, esp. the right to vote.
    Election by universal suffrage, as modified by the Constitution, is the one crowning franchise of the American people.   --W. H. Seward.
 3. The district or jurisdiction to which a particular privilege extends; the limits of an immunity; hence, an asylum or sanctuary.
    Churches and mobasteries in Spain are franchises for criminals.   --London Encyc.
 4. Magnanimity; generosity; liberality; frankness; nobility. “Franchise in woman.” [Obs.]
 Elective franchise, the privilege or right of voting in an election of public officers.


 Fran·chise, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Franchised p. pr. & vb. n. Franchising.]  To make free; to enfranchise; to give liberty to.

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 franchise
      n 1: an authorization to sell a company's goods or services in a
           particular place
      2: a business established or operated under an authorization to
         sell or distribute a company's goods or services in a
         particular area [syn: dealership]
      3: a statutory right or privilege granted to a person or group
         by a government (especially the rights of citizenship and
         the right to vote) [syn: enfranchisement]
      v : grant a franchise to