gun rights

plural noun

U.S. politics
: legal rights that allow civilians to own, use, and sell guns
supporters of gun rights
often used before another noun
gun rights advocates/groups

Note: The term gun rights often suggests support for an interpretation of the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that favors broad rights to gun ownership.

Examples of gun rights in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Evans, 38, an Army veteran and former Arvada police officer, campaigned on hot-topic issues including free speech, gun rights and American security. Lauren Penington, The Denver Post, 10 Nov. 2024 Elon Musk’s lawyers argued in Philadelphia court on Monday that his $1 million-a-day giveaway to voters who sign a petition supporting free speech and gun rights was not random, claiming the winners were actually pre-selected. Ben Kesslen, Quartz, 4 Nov. 2024 Signatories pledge to support the First Amendment, which gurantees free speech, and the Second Amendment, which covers gun rights. Josh Meyer, USA TODAY, 1 Nov. 2024 Since taking office in 2022, Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs has issued a record number of vetos, frustrating GOP attempts to pass various legislation that would expand gun rights, relax energy and environmental regulations, and impose new voting restrictions, among many other things. Cooper Burton, ABC News, 31 Oct. 2024 For sheriffs like Mack, who almost uniformly view Second Amendment gun rights as sacred, this was too far. David Gilbert, WIRED, 24 Oct. 2024 The petition is supportive of free speech and gun rights. Kevin Collier, NBC News, 21 Oct. 2024 Pete Patterson, who argued for the gun owners and gun rights groups, has said hobbyists interested in building their own firearms often purchase these products, not criminals. Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2024 In Tennessee, lawmakers killed a bipartisan bill this year that would have let residents convicted of felonies apply to vote again without also restoring their gun rights. L'oreal Thompson Payton, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1964, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gun rights was in 1964

Dictionary Entries Near gun rights

Cite this Entry

“Gun rights.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gun%20rights. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!