suffragist
|suf-frə-gist|
/ˈsʌfrədʒɪst/
advocate for voting rights
Etymology
'suffragist' originates from English, formed from 'suffrage' + the agent suffix '-ist', where 'suffrage' ultimately comes from Latin 'suffragium' meaning 'vote, support'.
'suffragium' (Latin) passed into Old French as 'suffrage', then into Middle English as 'suffrage'; the noun 'suffragist' was coined in English in the late 19th century to denote advocates of voting rights.
Initially 'suffragium' meant 'support' or 'a vote'; over time 'suffrage' came to mean specifically 'the right to vote', and 'suffragist' came to mean 'an advocate or member of a movement for that right'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a person who advocates the extension of the right to vote, especially to women; a supporter of suffrage.
Many suffragists campaigned tirelessly for women's right to vote.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Noun 2
historically: a member or supporter of the organized movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries that sought to secure voting rights (often used of those campaigning for women's suffrage).
Historic photographs show suffragists marching and holding banners demanding the vote.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/24 20:42