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

Lisa Femia is a staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit digital civil liberties group based in San Francisco. —Lisa Femia, Mercury News, 6 Dec. 2025

The gleeful, unrepentant suspension of civil liberties by the state would soon become the norm in 21st century America. —Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 5 Dec. 2025

Officials said the changes, which left the legislature with no meaningful opposition, were necessary to restore stability after the 2019 protests and that civil liberties in Hong Kong are still protected. —Jennifer Jett, NBC news, 4 Dec. 2025

Judge Andrew Napolitano is a former New Jersey Superior Court judge and longtime Fox News legal analyst known for his commentary on constitutional law and civil liberties. —Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025

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