suffrage
suffrage Lexical Profile
suffrage Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The legal right to vote in public political elections and referendums.
"The constitutional amendment finally guaranteed universal women's suffrage across the nation."
A vote cast in deciding a disputed question or electing a person to office.
"The candidate was elected to the council by the unanimous suffrage of the delegates."
A short intercessory prayer or petition, especially one offered in a liturgical service.
"The congregation responded to each suffrage chanted by the officiating priest during morning prayer."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'suffrage' (the right to vote) with 'suffering' (pain or hardship), as the two words come from entirely different Latin roots despite their visual and phonetic similarity.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 14th century from Old French 'suffrage' and directly from Latin 'suffragium' (a voting tablet, ballot, or right to vote), originally referring in Middle English to intercessory prayers before shifting to political voting rights in the 18th century.