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

TikTok and civil liberties groups argue that banning the platform infringes on free speech and unfairly targets one medium of expression. —Charlie Fink, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024

And of course, the FBI has a long and deep history of being hostile to the civil rights and civil liberties of all kinds of American citizens. —Cameron Joseph, The Christian Science Monitor, 19 Dec. 2024

Another key question is whether the Trump administration will be as attuned to the risks of AI, including those around bias and civil liberties. —Ina Fried, Axios, 17 Dec. 2024

But everyone deserves civil rights and civil liberties, even if the group being targeted does not poll well among likely voters. —Anthony D. Romero, Twin Cities, 6 Dec. 2024

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