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states' rights
plural noun
: all rights not vested by the U.S. Constitution in the federal government nor forbidden by it to the separate states
Examples of states' rights in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The same states' rights ideology that conservatives have long used to justify slavery and segregation now shapes women's rights in the United States.
—Jill Filipovic, CNN, 3 Aug. 2022
There have been moments of parties splintering, such as when Democrats committed to states' rights and frustrated by civil rights legislation, just as Black Americans were shifting toward Democrats, tried to create their own Dixiecrat party.
—Zachary B. Wolf, CNN, 15 May 2021
This attempt to federalize our elections and strip away states' rights would make cheating easier than ever.
—Arkansas Online, 28 Apr. 2022
Morgan wants to uphold the rule of law and preserve the U.S Constitution, such as fighting to ensure the federal government doesn't overstep states' rights.
—Melissa Estrada, The Arizona Republic, 12 Apr. 2022
Thurmond ran for president that year -- in a four-way race against incumbent Harry S. Truman, Republican Thomas Dewey and progressive Henry Wallace -- on a states' rights ticket.
—Peniel E. Joseph, CNN, 18 Jan. 2022
Chief Justice John Roberts seemed to propose a kind of compromise; that the court only consider the 15-week ban before it and not states' rights to impose earlier restrictions.
—Claire Zillman, Fortune, 2 Dec. 2021
But the state has asked the high court to strike down its precedent, in the name of states' rights.
—Fox News, 28 Nov. 2021
The move has state lawmakers accusing the federal government of overreach into states' rights territory.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY, 11 Sep. 2021
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'states' rights.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1824, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near states' rights
Cite this Entry
“States' rights.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/states%27%20rights. Accessed 14 Jun. 2024.
Kids Definition
states' rights
plural noun
: all rights not given to the federal government by the U.S. Constitution nor forbidden by it to the separate states
Legal Definition
states' rights
noun plural1
: rights and powers not forbidden to the states nor vested in the federal government by the U.S. Constitution
2
singular in construction
: a doctrine based on states' rights that has been used to justify state resistance to federal authority in matters seen as the exclusive concern of the states and that is most often associated with the states favoring slavery and secession in the 19th century compare federalism
More from Merriam-Webster on states' rights
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about states' rights
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