- franchise
- late 13c., from O.Fr. franchise "freedom," from variant stem of franc "free" (see frank). Sense narrowed 18c. to "particular legal privilege," then "right to vote" (1790). Meaning "authorization by a company to sell its products or services" is from 1959. Related: Franchisee; franchisor. Franchising is from 1570s; the commercial licensing sense is from 1966.