civil rights
plural noun
: rights that citizens are guaranteed by their government through legislation or other government action to ensure equal opportunities (as for employment, education, housing, or voting) and equal protection under the law regardless of personal characteristics such as race, religion, or sex
especially
: the rights of personal liberty guaranteed to U.S. citizens by the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the Constitution and by acts of Congress
Note: The 13th Amendment (ratified 1865) abolished slavery and the 14th Amendment (ratified 1868) granted citizenship and equal rights to all people born or naturalized in the U.S., including formerly enslaved people and African Americans generally. The 15th Amendment (ratified 1870) guaranteed the right to vote regardless of color or former enslavement.
compare civil liberty see also civil rights movementExamples of civil rights in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The last time a president called in the National Guard without a governor’s cooperation was in 1965, when Lyndon B. Johnson ordered troops to protect civil rights demonstrators in Alabama.
—
Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 9 June 2025
However, the last time the National Guard was called on by a president without a request from a state governor was 60 years ago, when President Lyndon B. Johnson sent troops to Alabama to protect civil rights demonstrators.
—James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2025
The Trump administration’s decision to freeze nearly all of Northwestern’s annual federal research funding stems from federal investigations into allegations of antisemitism and civil rights violations at the university amid the school’s handling of pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campus.
—Zareen Syed, Chicago Tribune, 7 June 2025
But the parades and parties that have come to define Pride will take place in the shadow of a presidential administration that has been openly hostile to the civil rights of LGBTQ Americans.
—Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 7 June 2025
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Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 9 June 2025
However, the last time the National Guard was called on by a president without a request from a state governor was 60 years ago, when President Lyndon B. Johnson sent troops to Alabama to protect civil rights demonstrators.
—James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2025
The Trump administration’s decision to freeze nearly all of Northwestern’s annual federal research funding stems from federal investigations into allegations of antisemitism and civil rights violations at the university amid the school’s handling of pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campus.
—Zareen Syed, Chicago Tribune, 7 June 2025
But the parades and parties that have come to define Pride will take place in the shadow of a presidential administration that has been openly hostile to the civil rights of LGBTQ Americans.
—Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 7 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for civil rights
Cite this Entry
“Civil rights.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/civil%20rights. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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