human right

noun

: a basic right (such as the right to be treated well or the right to vote) that many societies believe every person should have
They believe that freedom of speech is a basic human right.
The defendant was deprived of his human rights.
human rights violations

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Some have even argued that it should, alongside access to clean water and electricity, be considered a basic human right. Marian Selorm Sapah, Fortune, 1 Mar. 2023 Gorgeous women are shot purposefully in the eye at close range, smiling and laughing, and claiming that losing an eye was worth it to fight for their freedom, to exercise their human right to protest. Tara Grammy, Harper's BAZAAR, 15 Feb. 2023

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

Dictionary Entries Near human right

Cite this Entry

“Human right.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/human%20right. Accessed 25 Mar. 2023.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!


Love It or Hate It

  • heart-fire
  • When asked about her blind date, Carol spoke for hours with vitriol.
Name That Thing

You know what it looks like… but what is it called?

TAKE THE QUIZ
Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can with using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.

Can you make 12 words with 7 letters?

PLAY