civil liberty

noun

plural civil liberties

: freedom from arbitrary interference in one's speech or actions by other individuals or by the government especially as constitutionally guaranteed (as by the U.S. Bill of Rights)

—usually plural

Examples of civil liberties include freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly, freedom of the press, the right to privacy, and the right to due process of law.

—Ramon Martin

compare civil rights

civil libertarian noun

plural civil libertarians

civil libertarian adjective

… continued divisions within the GOP on civil libertarian issues.

—Ian Duncan and Lisa Mascaro

Examples of civil liberty in a Sentence

Freedom of speech is a civil liberty.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Institute for Justice, a nonprofit law firm specializing in civil liberties cases, identified over 100 incidents of automatic license plate reader abuse, including stalking and wrongful stops. — Charlie De Mar, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026

Law enforcement users will now also be required to enter a code from their records management system tying each search to a specific case before it is run, something Langley said civil liberties advocates have long been calling for. — Sarah Rankin, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026

Margo Schlanger, who led DHS’s office for civil rights and civil liberties under the Obama Administration, tells TIME that a taser, which many immigration officers are equipped with or have access to, is a much more effective enforcement tool. — Connor Greene, Time, 12 Aug. 2026

Anduril’s products and recruiting efforts have prompted protests and criticism from civil liberties groups, immigration advocates, and university students. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1640, in the meaning defined above

Legal Definition

civil liberty

noun

: freedom from arbitrary interference in one's pursuits (as in expressing thoughts, practicing a religion, or pursuing a living) by individuals or especially by the government and especially as constitutionally guaranteed

—usually used in pl. see also civil right