Franchise

Franchise |ˈfranˌ ch īz|

noun

1 an authorization granted by a government or company to an individual or group enabling them to carry out specified commercial activities, e.g., providing a broadcasting service or acting as an agent for a company's products.

• a business or service given such authorization to operate.

• an authorization given by a league to own a sports team.

• informal a professional sports team.

• (also franchise player) informal a star player in a team.

2 (usu. the franchise) the right to vote.

• the rights of citizenship.

verb [ trans. ]

grant a franchise to (an individual or group).

• grant a franchise for the sale of (goods) or the operation of (a service) : all the catering was franchised out.

DERIVATIVES

franchisee |ˌfranˌ ch īˈzē| noun

franchiser (also franchisor |ˌfran ch əˈzôr|) noun

ORIGIN Middle English (denoting a grant of legal immunity): from Old French, based on franc, franche ‘free’ (see frank ¹ ). Sense 2 dates from the late 18th cent. and sense 1 from the 20th cent.


information found from Dictionary of Mac Widget