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 movement

Examples of civil rights in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

California voters also were rejecting Proposition 6, which was billed as an anti-slavery measure by some civil rights groups. —

Paul Rogers, The Mercury News, 5 Nov. 2024 There are fundamental values on the line, even beyond democracy — women’s rights, civil rights, the safety of immigrants. —

Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024 Alleged Violations of Due Process Attorney Jacob Candelaria, representing NNK Equity, disputed these charges, arguing that authorities violated his client's civil rights. —

Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024 During his first term, Ta advocated for cities to have easier access to existing affordable housing funds to help build and run regional homeless shelters and prevention programs, halting gas tax increases and placing the landmark civil rights case Mendez v. Westminster in California textbooks. —

Hanna Kang, Orange County Register, 5 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for civil rights