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
Cesar Chavez was a labor organizer and civil rights activist who became one of the most influential figures in the modern farmworker movement, particularly in California and the American Southwest.
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Paris Barraza, USA Today, 17 Mar. 2026
Some schools that applied to the program have hosted events organized by CAIR, the country’s largest organization dedicated to advocating for civil rights of Muslims, Hancock said.
—Jessica Ma, Dallas Morning News, 17 Mar. 2026
Yamamoto, a transgender criminal defense attorney and longtime LGBTQ+ advocate, has spent decades fighting for civil rights in California.
—Kennedy French, Variety, 17 Mar. 2026
At least some local leaders, however, are interested in continuing to celebrate the civil rights movement that Chavez spearheaded.
—Emiliano Tahui Gómez, Austin American Statesman, 17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for civil rights
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Paris Barraza, USA Today, 17 Mar. 2026
Some schools that applied to the program have hosted events organized by CAIR, the country’s largest organization dedicated to advocating for civil rights of Muslims, Hancock said.
—Jessica Ma, Dallas Morning News, 17 Mar. 2026
Yamamoto, a transgender criminal defense attorney and longtime LGBTQ+ advocate, has spent decades fighting for civil rights in California.
—Kennedy French, Variety, 17 Mar. 2026
At least some local leaders, however, are interested in continuing to celebrate the civil rights movement that Chavez spearheaded.
—Emiliano Tahui Gómez, Austin American Statesman, 17 Mar. 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 19 Mar. 2026.
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