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

The most consequential result of the midterms has been to break the fever of Trumpism and to diminish its threat to democratic institutions, to personal and civil liberties, and to decency itself. — David Remnick, New Yorker, 7 Nov. 2026

The wiretapping operation could also constitute a serious human rights violation and could be used to intimidate critics and weaken civil liberties, said Usman Hamid, Amnesty International's executive director in Indonesia. — ABC News, 5 Nov. 2026

But amid massive pro-democracy protests in 2019 and 2020, Chinese authorities enacted a national security law sharply curtailing civil liberties and personal freedoms there. — Joshua Yang, Washington Post, 5 Nov. 2026

Her Democratic opponent, Marine Corps veteran Kevin Burge, campaigned on affordable housing, immigration reform, protecting civil liberties and expanding access to health care and education. — Sergio Candido, CBS News, 4 Nov. 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