Civil Rights Movement

noun

variants or less commonly American Civil Rights Movement

: a movement (see movement sense 2b(1)) for racial equality in the U.S. that came to prominence in the 1950s and 1960s

Examples of Civil Rights Movement in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In 1936, nearly two decades before the Civil Rights Movement, Helen Webb Harris, an educator in the Washington, DC, area, invited 12 friends to her home to discuss forming a club. —Merlisa Lawrence Corbett, USA Today, 27 Feb. 2026

Advertisement Gates’ roughly chronological account weaves together major moments in each group’s history, from the Spanish Inquisition and American slavery to World War II, the Civil Rights Movement, and beyond. —Judy Berman, Time, 27 Feb. 2026

For Atlanta — often called the cradle of the modern Civil Rights Movement — the moment lands with particular weight. —Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 25 Feb. 2026

Many Jewish leaders and citizens became active supporters of the Civil Rights Movement, standing alongside African American activists in the fight against segregation and inequality. —Jason Touvi, Sun Sentinel, 24 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1872, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for Civil Rights Movement

• improvement