antisuffragist
|an-ti-suf-fra-gist|
/ˌæn.tiˈsʌfrə.dʒɪst/
against (women's) suffrage
Etymology
'antisuffragist' originates from the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti-' meaning 'against'), the word 'suffrage' (from Latin 'suffragium' meaning 'vote' or 'support' via Old French/Anglo-Norman), and the agent suffix '-ist' (from Greek/Latin), where 'anti-' meant 'against' and 'suffragium' meant 'vote/support'.
'antisuffragist' was formed in the late 19th century from 'anti-' + 'suffrage' + '-ist' in the context of political debates over extending the franchise; 'suffrage' itself came into English via Old French 'suffrage' from Latin 'suffragium'.
Initially used to denote someone opposed to suffrage or the extension of voting rights in general, the term became chiefly applied to opponents of women's suffrage during the late 19th and early 20th centuries and retains that historical sense.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a person who opposes suffrage, especially opposition to extending the right to vote to women (historically, an opponent of women's suffrage).
Antisuffragists organized rallies and petitions to resist granting women the vote.
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Adjective 1
opposed to suffrage; expressing or showing opposition to granting (especially women's) voting rights.
The antisuffragist campaign relied on traditional arguments about gender roles.
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Last updated: 2025/09/11 01:32