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
McMahon has gutted the Education Department’s civil rights division, where lawyers and other federal employees work to ensure all students can access public school, free from discrimination.
—
Megan O’Matz, ProPublica, 8 Oct. 2025
Penny has reported on everything from national civil rights issues to hog farming in Illinois, Georgia, Texas and now Arkansas.
—Penny Weaver, Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2025
The program usually visits cities with a prominent civil rights history.
—Liz Rothaus Bertrand, Charlotte Observer, 7 Oct. 2025
Specializing in criminal defense, civil rights litigation, personal injury, family law, and sports entertainment, the firm employs a comprehensive approach.
—Malana Vantyler, USA Today, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for civil rights
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Megan O’Matz, ProPublica, 8 Oct. 2025
Penny has reported on everything from national civil rights issues to hog farming in Illinois, Georgia, Texas and now Arkansas.
—Penny Weaver, Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2025
The program usually visits cities with a prominent civil rights history.
—Liz Rothaus Bertrand, Charlotte Observer, 7 Oct. 2025
Specializing in criminal defense, civil rights litigation, personal injury, family law, and sports entertainment, the firm employs a comprehensive approach.
—Malana Vantyler, USA Today, 6 Oct. 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 8 Oct. 2025.
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