Definition of "franchise" []

• A privilege or right officially granted a person or a group by a government, especially: (noun)
• The constitutional or statutory right to vote. (noun)
• The establishment of a corporation's existence. (noun)
• The granting of certain rights and powers to a corporation. (noun)
• Legal immunity from servitude, certain burdens, or other restrictions. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The phrase "franchise quarterback" suggests to me someone who can consistently carry the team, and I don't think Sanchez is there yet."
• "Every product related to the franchise is awaited with bated breath."
• "The one thing I hope makes it back into the franchise is the bigger stories about humanity and morality that existed in the original series."