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

Government agencies that are a part of the pilot program will need to report to Congress their usage of the authority, including any privacy or civil liberties complaints. —Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 13 Dec. 2024

The system, which brings together information from license plate readers, tens of thousands of closed-circuit television cameras, facial recognition tools and phone call locations to identify people, has been criticized by civil liberties groups. —Ray Sanchez, CNN, 6 Dec. 2024

Advocates for human rights and civil liberties have grown alarmed. —Jason Ma, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2024

Government ministers and health campaigners have largely praised the plans, while some lawmakers have criticized its impact on civil liberties. —Katherine Hignett, Forbes, 28 Nov. 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