civil death

noun

Definition of civil death

: the status of a living person equivalent in its legal consequences to natural death specifically : deprivation of civil rights

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The concept dates to the colonial era, when certain criminals were shunned and stripped of rights, a practice known as civil death. — New York Times, "They Served Their Time. Now They’re Fighting for Other Ex-Felons to Vote.," 11 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'civil death.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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The first known use of civil death was in 1719

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civil death

noun

Legal Definition of civil death

: the status of a living person equivalent in its legal consequences to natural death specifically : deprivation of certain civil rights upon conviction for a serious crime