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

And that training was funded by a philanthropic organization that’s interested in promoting civil liberties. —Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 26 Mar. 2026

Against this backdrop, civil liberties experts emphasize that travelers, regardless of immigration status, still retain constitutional protections. —Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 23 Mar. 2026

For the safety of our community and the protection of our civil liberties, the City Council must vote against a contract with Axon. —Jennifer Piper, Denver Post, 23 Mar. 2026

But a program that reaches classrooms over the coming years will not help the millions of New Yorkers worried right now about whether AI will take their jobs, flood elections with misinformation, or be used in ways that affect their civil liberties without their knowledge. —Andrew Rasiej, New York Daily News, 22 Mar. 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