Black Lives Matter
noun
Note: Black Lives Matter was founded by Black community organizers Patrisse Khan-Cullors, Alicia Garza, and Opal Tometi after George Zimmerman was acquitted of charges relating to his fatal shooting of Black teenager Trayvon Martin in 2012; the movement expanded as people reacted to police killings of unarmed Black people in years following. The name Black Lives Matter functions as a declaration that Black people's lives have as much value as white people's lives, and as a call to end systems and practices that challenge this fact.
—abbreviation BLMExamples of Black Lives Matter in a Sentence
Trymaine Lee, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
All of this was happening at a time when Black Lives Matter was emerging.
—Addie Morfoot, Variety, 26 Aug. 2025
Five years ago, during the height of nationwide Black Lives Matter protests following the murder of George Floyd, colleges doubled down on their commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) on campus.
—Emma Whitford, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
In June 2020, amid the nationwide Black Lives Matter protests, Chuter started the hashtag, #PullUpOrShutUp.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Black Lives Matter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Black%20Lives%20Matter. Accessed 5 Sep. 2025.
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