civil liberty

noun

plural civil liberties

: freedom from arbitrary interference in one's speech or actions by other individuals or by the government especially as constitutionally guaranteed (as by the U.S. Bill of Rights)

—usually plural

Examples of civil liberties include freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly, freedom of the press, the right to privacy, and the right to due process of law.

—Ramon Martin

compare civil rights

civil libertarian noun

plural civil libertarians

Civil libertarians contend that the heightened scrutiny has discouraged illegal immigrants from seeking marriage, … a fundamental right protected under the Constitution.

—Randy Kennedy

civil libertarian adjective

… continued divisions within the GOP on civil libertarian issues.

—Ian Duncan and Lisa Mascaro

Examples of civil liberty in a Sentence

Freedom of speech is a civil liberty.

Recent Examples on the Web

Vowing to make the Maldives the first carbon neutral country while improving civil liberties for locals, Nasheed’s administration was stymied from the start by judges who refused to preside over trials against members of the Gayoom regime. —Rob Crossan, JSTOR Daily, 17 Jan. 2025

Projecting stability and control has long been one of the ruling Chinese Communist Party’s biggest preoccupations, its implicit justification for limiting citizens’ civil liberties. —Vivian Wang, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2025

In a case that has reached them at breakneck speed, the justices will hear oral arguments concerning a federal law that puts a modern twist on a classic challenge: balancing protecting the public with protecting civil liberties. —Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, 9 Jan. 2025

That's why liberal groups that purport to defend civil liberties against extremism and antisemitism not only support more internet censorship but also have colluded in it. —Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1640, in the meaning defined above

Legal Definition

civil liberty

noun

: freedom from arbitrary interference in one's pursuits (as in expressing thoughts, practicing a religion, or pursuing a living) by individuals or especially by the government and especially as constitutionally guaranteed

—usually used in pl. see also civil right