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

Patrick Eddington, a senior fellow in homeland security and civil liberties at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, says giving police this capability magnifies its potential problems. —Meg Anderson, NPR, 19 June 2026

Haken was charged with assault with a deadly weapon, assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury, hit-and-run, interfering with another person's civil liberties, vandalism, and reckless driving. —Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 18 June 2026

So if blanket bans are difficult to enforce and age verification raises civil liberties concerns, what would a better model look like? —Dana Taylor, USA Today, 17 June 2026

Supporters of Palestine Action and civil liberties groups said the arrests for peaceful protest ride roughshod over free speech and the right to protest. —ABC News, 15 June 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