Black Lives Matter

noun

: a movement founded in 2013 to end white supremacy and support Black communities

Note: Black Lives Matter was founded by Black community organizers Patrisse Khan-Cullors, Alicia Garza, and Opal Tometi after George Zimmerman was acquitted of charges relating to his fatal shooting of Black teenager Trayvon Martin in 2012; the movement expanded as people reacted to police killings of unarmed Black people in years following. The name Black Lives Matter functions as a declaration that Black people's lives have as much value as white people's lives, and as a call to end systems and practices that challenge this fact.

abbreviation BLM

Examples of Black Lives Matter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Black Messiah was released in the thick of the Black Lives Matter movement and following the killings of unarmed Black men like Michael Brown and Eric Garner. Andrew R. Chow, Time, 14 Oct. 2025 Sharon Chuter's history of activism In June 2020, amid the nationwide Black Lives Matter protests, Chuter started the hashtag, #PullUpOrShutUp. Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 13 Oct. 2025 That year marked the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, while incidents of police brutality sparked social justice and equality protests across the U.S., bringing the height of the Black Lives Matter movement to the forefront. Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2025 The Clara Mohammed School teaches about subjects like Black Lives Matter and current events. Everett Eaton, jsonline.com, 7 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for Black Lives Matter

Word History

First Known Use

2014, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Black Lives Matter was in 2014

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Cite this Entry

“Black Lives Matter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Black%20Lives%20Matter. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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