bill of rights
noun phrase
variants
or Bill of Rights
1
usually Bill of Rights
: a summary of fundamental rights and privileges that a government guarantees to the people
—used especially of the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution
The Bill of Rights is the first 10 Amendments to the Constitution. It spells out Americans' rights in relation to their government. It guarantees civil rights and liberties to the individual—like freedom of speech, press, and religion. It sets rules for due process of law and reserves all powers not delegated to the Federal Government to the people or the States. And it specifies that "the enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people."—National Archives and Records Administration
2
: a document containing a formal statement of rights
a patients' bill of rights
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