A Quick and Simple Dictionary

franchise

1. Noun.  A right or privilege officially granted to a person, a group of people, or a company by a government.
2. Noun.  An acknowledgment of a corporation's existence and ownership.
3. Noun.  The authorization granted by a company to sell or distribute its goods or services in a certain area.
4. Noun.  A business operating under such authorization.
5. Noun.  A legal exemption from jurisdiction.
6. Noun.  The membership of a corporation or state; citizenship.
7. Noun.  The right to vote at a public election.
8. Noun.  (sports) The collection of organizations in the history of a sports team; the tradition of a sports team as an entity, extending beyond the contemporary organization.
9. Noun.  (business, marketing) The positive influence on the buying behavior of customers exerted by the reputation of a company or a brand.
10. Noun.  The loose collection of fictional works pertaining to a particular universe, including literary, film(,) or television series from various sources.
11. Noun.  (obsolete) Magnanimity; generosity; liberality; frankness; nobility.
12. Verb.  (transitive) To confer certain powers on; grant a franchise to; authorize.
13. Verb.  (transitive, rare) To set free; invest with a franchise or privilege; enfranchise.