human rights

plural noun

: rights (such as freedom from unlawful imprisonment, torture, and execution) regarded as belonging fundamentally to all persons

Examples of human rights in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Qatar 2022 was an abomination in so many ways, a World Cup staged in a nation roughly the size of Connecticut, with an appalling human rights record, but the football was frequently thrilling. Oliver Kay, New York Times, 11 June 2026 Other World Cup tournaments were far from flawless, from the authoritarianism of Russia in 2018 and the human rights concerns of Qatar in 2022, right back to the tournaments held under Mussolini’s Italy in 1934 and Argentina’s junta in 1978. Abigail Williams, NBC news, 10 June 2026 Thalib, a leading human rights activist and founder of KontraS who was poisoned with arsenic on a flight to Amsterdam. ABC News, 10 June 2026 Qatar in 2022 was allowed to host despite evidence of human rights abuses. Stefan Szymanski, The Conversation, 10 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for human rights

Word History

First Known Use

1629, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of human rights was in 1629

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Cite this Entry

“Human rights.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/human%20rights. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.

Legal Definition

human rights

noun plural
: rights (as freedom from unlawful imprisonment, torture, and execution) regarded as belonging fundamentally to all people

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