franklin

Reading level: hard

Estimated CEFR level: B2 — Upper-Intermediate

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun United States historian noted for studies of Black American history (born in 1915)
  2. noun printer whose success as an author led him to take up politics; he helped draw up the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution; he played a major role in the American Revolution and negotiated French support for the colonists; as a scientist he is remembered particularly for his research in electricity (1706-1790)
  3. noun a landowner (14th and 15th centuries) who was free but not of noble birth

Etymology

From Middle English frankelein (“freeholder”), from Anglo-Norman fraunclein (“a landowner of free, but not noble birth”), from Old French fraunc (“free”), from Frankish *Frankō (“Frank”, literally “freeman”) + Old French -lein (“-ling”), from Frankish *-ling (“-ling”). More at frank, -ling.

In classic literature

Synonyms

John Hope Franklin

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