franchise

The word “franchise” means a business that is authorized to sell a company's goods or services in a particular area, operating under its brand. In plain terms, a licensed branch of a business (like a fast-food chain), the right to vote, or a long-running series of films or games.

“Franchise” is pronounced FRANT-shyz (/ˈfɹænt͡ʃaɪ̯z/ in IPA).

Here is “franchise” used in a sentence: “She opened a fast-food franchise on the edge of town.”

Depending on how it is used, “franchise” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “franchise” comes from Old French. From Old French franchise ("freedom"), from franc ("free") — related to "frank.".

“Franchise” is a fairly common word in modern English.

“Franchise” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a business that is authorized to sell a company's goods or services in a particular area, operating under its brand.

A 'franchise' is an independently owned business licensed to trade under a larger company's brand, while a 'branch' is directly owned and run by the parent company. Franchise owners pay fees to use the brand, whereas branches are company property.

'Franchise' can mean an official right or privilege granted by a government, and the right to vote is its best-known example. This sense appears in phrases like 'universal franchise' and 'extending the franchise.'

The 'franchise' is the licensed business or the right itself, the 'franchisee' is the person or company that buys and runs it, and the 'franchisor' is the parent company granting the licence. All three terms come from the same commercial arrangement.