burgess
n. countable C2 Proficiency US //ˈbɝdʒəs// UK //bˈɜːdʒɛs// burgess
n. a citizen of a town who has the right to vote or hold office. You will mostly see this word in history books or old legal documents.
n. a freeman of a borough or town, historically entitled to vote or hold municipal office. Archaic in modern general usage; retained in specific historical or legal contexts.
The burgess signed the town charter in 1620.
Only the burgess of the city could vote in the local council elections.
The rights of the burgess were central to the political struggles of the medieval period, distinguishing them from the peasantry and the nobility.