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 Trump administration's use of Guantanamo Bay to further its mass deportation agenda has garnered strong criticism and legal challenges from civil rights advocates, who argue the government does not have the authority to hold immigration detainees outside of the U.S.
—
Camilo Montoya-Galvez
july 1, CBS News, 1 July 2025
In October 2023, the AFL filed a federal civil rights complaint against MLB for racially discriminatory programs, alongside the EEOC.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2025
In Iowa, the law that removed gender identity from civil rights laws protecting people from discrimination takes effect.
—The Npr Network, NPR, 1 July 2025
These actions, coupled with Harvard’s response, comprised a violation of the students’ civil rights under Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
—Laya Neelakandan, CNBC, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for civil rights
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Camilo Montoya-Galvez
july 1, CBS News, 1 July 2025
In October 2023, the AFL filed a federal civil rights complaint against MLB for racially discriminatory programs, alongside the EEOC.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2025
In Iowa, the law that removed gender identity from civil rights laws protecting people from discrimination takes effect.
—The Npr Network, NPR, 1 July 2025
These actions, coupled with Harvard’s response, comprised a violation of the students’ civil rights under Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
—Laya Neelakandan, CNBC, 30 June 2025
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 6 Jul. 2025.
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