franchise: [13] Originally, franchise meant ‘freedom’ (as it still does in French today): ‘We will for our franchise fight and for our land’, Robert of Gloucester’s Chronicle 1297. Gradually, though, it became more specialized in sense, narrowing down via ‘particular legal privilege’ to (in the 18th century) ‘right to vote’. It comes from Old French franchise, a derivative of franc ‘free’ (whence English frank). => frank
franchise (n.)
c. 1300, fraunchise, "a special right or privilege (by grant of a sovereign or government);" also "national sovereignty; nobility of character, generosity; the king's authority; the collective rights claimed by a people or town or religious institution," also used of the state of Adam and Eve before the Fall, from Old French franchise "freedom, exemption; right, privilege" (12c.), from variant stem of franc "free" (see frank (adj.)).
From late 14c. as "freedom; not being in servitude; social status of a freeman;" early 15c. as "citizenship, membership in a community or town; membership in a craft or guild." The "special right" sense narrowed 18c. to "particular legal privilege," then "right to vote" (1790). From mid-15c. as "right to buy or sell," also "right to exclude others from buying or selling, a monopoly;" meaning "authorization by a company to sell its products or services" is from 1959.
franchise (v.)
late 14c., "to make free," from Old French franchiss-, past participle stem of franchir "to free" (12c.), from franc "free" (see frank (adj.)). Franchising is from 1570s; the commercial licensing sense is from 1966. Related: Franchisee; franchiser; franchisor.
实用例句
1. The diving school has acquired a franchise for scuba equipment.
潜水学校获得潜水用水肺的特许经营权.
来自《简明英汉词典》
2. Catering in the schools is run on a franchise basis.
学校餐饮服务以特许权经营.
来自《简明英汉词典》
3. The United States granted the franchise to women in 1920.
美国于1920年给妇女以参政权.
来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
4. The 1867 Reform Act extended the franchise to much of the male working class.
《1867年改革法》扩大了选举权的范围，使多数男性工人都拥有了该权利。
来自柯林斯例句
5. Talk to other franchise holders and ask them what they think of the parent company.
