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

Hours earlier, civil liberties had been suspended in the name of national security. —Larry Pino, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Feb. 2026

The May 12 memo was issued by Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons and was disclosed earlier this month to the news media as a result of a whistleblower complaint filed by the civil liberties advocacy group Whistleblower Aid. —Reuters, NBC news, 30 Jan. 2026

Privacy and criminal justice advocates urged council members to reject the contracts, arguing the tools could be used to infringe on civil liberties and potentially assist federal immigration enforcement efforts. —Austin Sanders, Austin American Statesman, 29 Jan. 2026

Starmer must balance trade opportunities against national security concerns, including Chinese espionage and Beijing’s crackdown on civil liberties in Hong Kong. —Ken Moritsugu, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026

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