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
Immigration advocates and Ohio civil rights leaders have added their names to petitions.
—
Hannah Allam, ProPublica, 10 Sep. 2025
In two cases in the Middle District of Florida, civil rights groups sued the state and federal governments for not providing detainees with confidential access to their attorneys.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 9 Sep. 2025
Abandoning diversity, equity, and inclusion makes companies more vulnerable to civil rights litigation, less attractive to emerging talent, and more disconnected from today’s consumer base.
—Essence, 9 Sep. 2025
The following six places in Florida honor the state’s Black civil rights heroes by enabling travelers to learn more about Florida’s—and, by extension, the United States'—civil rights history.
—Mariette Williams, AFAR Media, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for civil rights
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Hannah Allam, ProPublica, 10 Sep. 2025
In two cases in the Middle District of Florida, civil rights groups sued the state and federal governments for not providing detainees with confidential access to their attorneys.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 9 Sep. 2025
Abandoning diversity, equity, and inclusion makes companies more vulnerable to civil rights litigation, less attractive to emerging talent, and more disconnected from today’s consumer base.
—Essence, 9 Sep. 2025
The following six places in Florida honor the state’s Black civil rights heroes by enabling travelers to learn more about Florida’s—and, by extension, the United States'—civil rights history.
—Mariette Williams, AFAR Media, 9 Sep. 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 10 Sep. 2025.
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