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
Young civil rights activist and Freedom Rider Jerome Smith attended the meeting.
—
Literary Hub, 24 Feb. 2026
Jewish Floridians have played a vital role in shaping the state’s economy, promoting civil rights, and enriching its cultural landscape.
—Jason Touvi, Sun Sentinel, 24 Feb. 2026
Families of nine girls killed in the July 4, 2025, flash flood at Camp Mystic have filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against six Texas health officials, alleging regulators failed to enforce mandatory evacuation plan requirements for licensed youth camps.
—Bradford Betz, FOXNews.com, 24 Feb. 2026
On the matter of civil rights for all Californians, there was no turning back.
—Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026
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Literary Hub, 24 Feb. 2026
Jewish Floridians have played a vital role in shaping the state’s economy, promoting civil rights, and enriching its cultural landscape.
—Jason Touvi, Sun Sentinel, 24 Feb. 2026
Families of nine girls killed in the July 4, 2025, flash flood at Camp Mystic have filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against six Texas health officials, alleging regulators failed to enforce mandatory evacuation plan requirements for licensed youth camps.
—Bradford Betz, FOXNews.com, 24 Feb. 2026
On the matter of civil rights for all Californians, there was no turning back.
—Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026
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 26 Feb. 2026.
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