gun rights

plural noun

U.S. politics
: legal rights that allow civilians to own, use, and sell guns
supporters of gun rights
often used before another noun
gun rights advocates/groups

Note: The term gun rights often suggests support for an interpretation of the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that favors broad rights to gun ownership.

Examples of gun rights in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Conservatives see no apology from Jimmy Kimmel Dana Loesch, the Trump-supporting voice of gun rights activism, was not impressed by Jimmy Kimmel's return. Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025 Daniel Hagan, an attorney representing Culotta who is being paid for by Massachusetts gun rights groups, has appealed Culotta’s detention to the Supreme Judicial Court. Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald, 18 Sep. 2025 Elected to the State House in 2022, a top priority for Barrett has been defending gun rights. Vivian Jones, Nashville Tennessean, 18 Sep. 2025 Carol Siemon, who in 2022 stepped down as the top prosecutor in Ingham County, which includes much of Lansing, Michigan's state capital, mocked Kirk’s lifelong defense of gun rights. Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 12 Sep. 2025 Most recently, Attorney General Pam Bondi restored actor Mel Gibson's gun rights after losing them in a 2011 conviction. Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025 Fortunately, some gun rights groups have spoken up in opposition to the idea of categorically banning transgender Americans from exercising their Second Amendment rights. The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 7 Sep. 2025 Such a proposal could face significant pushback not only from civil rights groups but from gun rights organizations, which have historically been resistant to the issuance of any regulations restricting people's access to firearms. Alexander Mallin, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2025 Barrett has sided with the conservative majority in many cases, bolstering national gun rights, ending affirmative action, and limiting the ability of federal judges to issue nationwide injunctions in a more recent birthright citizenship decision. Solcyré Burga, Time, 2 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1964, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gun rights was in 1964

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gun rights.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gun%20rights. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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