human rights

plural noun

: rights (such as freedom from unlawful imprisonment, torture, and execution) regarded as belonging fundamentally to all persons

Examples of human rights in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Testimony about the structure — which federal immigration officials say does not exist — has been the subject of a Senate inquiry questioning its use at the site and allegations by Amnesty International of human rights abuses. — Churchill Ndonwie, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 July 2026

More than 500 people have died in prison since the state of emergency, mainly for health reasons but some related to violence, according to human rights organizations. — ABC News, 13 July 2026

Two foundational human rights agreements, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, describe countries’ obligations to promote the welfare of their people. — Stephen Bagwell, Fortune, 13 July 2026

The ongoing violence and humanitarian needs have prompted concerns about voter disenfranchisement by some human rights and civil society advocates who note that a majority of the electorate live in the West and neighboring Artibonite regions. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 10 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1629, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for human rights

• acolytes
• ammonites
• amorites
• analytes
• andesites
• appetites
• argillites
• astrocytes
• belemnites
• bryophytes
• canaanites
• carmelites

Legal Definition

human rights

noun plural

: rights (as freedom from unlawful imprisonment, torture, and execution) regarded as belonging fundamentally to all people