animal rights

plural noun

: rights (as to fair and humane treatment) regarded as belonging fundamentally to all animals
animal rightist noun

Examples of animal rights 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.
Representatives from the nonprofit animal rights organization NYCLASS, short for New Yorkers for Clean, Livable, and Safe Streets, said people had to jump and run out of the way to avoid being trampled. Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 12 Jan. 2026 Bardot rarely shared updates about her health, having largely exited the public eye after retiring from acting in 1973 to become an animal rights activist. Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 7 Jan. 2026 According to animal rights advocates, balloons can be harmful to birds and marine life, such as fish and turtles, who can mistake the balloon debris for food and get entangled in ribbons. Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 2 Jan. 2026 Outside of the realm of films, some remember her best for her animal activism and founding the Brigitte Bardot Foundation in the 1980s to advocate for animal rights. Chris Willman, Variety, 29 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for animal rights

Word History

First Known Use

1845, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of animal rights was in 1845

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Animal rights.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/animal%20rights. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on animal rights

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!