civil rights
plural noun
: rights that citizens are guaranteed by their government through legislation or other government action to ensure equal opportunities (as for employment, education, housing, or voting) and equal protection under the law regardless of personal characteristics such as race, religion, or sex
especially
: the rights of personal liberty guaranteed to U.S. citizens by the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the Constitution and by acts of Congress
Note: The 13th Amendment (ratified 1865) abolished slavery and the 14th Amendment (ratified 1868) granted citizenship and equal rights to all people born or naturalized in the U.S., including formerly enslaved people and African Americans generally. The 15th Amendment (ratified 1870) guaranteed the right to vote regardless of color or former enslavement.
compare civil liberty see also civil rights movementExamples of civil rights in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Multiple South Florida civil rights organizations plan to protest outside the facility on Saturday.
—
Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2025
Along with Perry and King, the crew includes aerospace engineer Aisha Bowe, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, and film producer Kerianne Flynn.
—Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025
Most famously, the fever overtook Hollywood, but union organizers, civil rights activists, homosexuals, and artists were all prime suspects as well.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
There are 906 civil rights complaints concerning school districts, colleges and universities throughout the Midwest, NBC affiliate WMAQ-Ch. 5 reports.
—Willie Wilson, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2025
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Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2025
Along with Perry and King, the crew includes aerospace engineer Aisha Bowe, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, and film producer Kerianne Flynn.
—Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025
Most famously, the fever overtook Hollywood, but union organizers, civil rights activists, homosexuals, and artists were all prime suspects as well.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
There are 906 civil rights complaints concerning school districts, colleges and universities throughout the Midwest, NBC affiliate WMAQ-Ch. 5 reports.
—Willie Wilson, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for civil rights
Cite this Entry
“Civil rights.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/civil%20rights. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.
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