civil rights
plural noun
: rights that citizens are guaranteed by their government through legislation or other government action to ensure equal opportunities (as for employment, education, housing, or voting) and equal protection under the law regardless of personal characteristics such as race, religion, or sex
especially
: the rights of personal liberty guaranteed to U.S. citizens by the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the Constitution and by acts of Congress
Note: The 13th Amendment (ratified 1865) abolished slavery and the 14th Amendment (ratified 1868) granted citizenship and equal rights to all people born or naturalized in the U.S., including formerly enslaved people and African Americans generally. The 15th Amendment (ratified 1870) guaranteed the right to vote regardless of color or former enslavement.
compare civil liberty see also civil rights movementExamples of civil rights in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The controversial measure would permit civil lawsuits against federal officials if citizens believed that their civil rights had been violated.
—
Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 15 Apr. 2026
Westminster’s Mendez Freedom Trail sets in concrete the story of a landmark civil rights court case, in which the ruling 79 years ago Tuesday, April 14, made the segregation of Mexican-American students in California public schools unconstitutional.
—Victoria Le, Oc Register, 14 Apr. 2026
But his preaching of Black supremacy stirred concern in both the white community and the civil rights movement.
—Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Apr. 2026
Our democracy, & the civil rights & liberties that now sit in constitutional law were literally built on small actions like these.
—Walden Green, Pitchfork, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for civil rights
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Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 15 Apr. 2026
Westminster’s Mendez Freedom Trail sets in concrete the story of a landmark civil rights court case, in which the ruling 79 years ago Tuesday, April 14, made the segregation of Mexican-American students in California public schools unconstitutional.
—Victoria Le, Oc Register, 14 Apr. 2026
But his preaching of Black supremacy stirred concern in both the white community and the civil rights movement.
—Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Apr. 2026
Our democracy, & the civil rights & liberties that now sit in constitutional law were literally built on small actions like these.
—Walden Green, Pitchfork, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for civil rights
Cite this Entry
“Civil rights.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/civil%20rights. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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