birthright

[burth-rahyt]

noun

1. any right or privilege to which a person is entitled by birth.

   Democracy maintains that freedom is a birthright.

birthright

/ ˈbɜːθˌraɪt /

noun

1. privileges or possessions that a person has or is believed to be entitled to as soon as he is born

2. the privileges or possessions of a first-born son

3. inheritance; patrimony

Word History and Origins

Origin of birthright¹

First recorded in 1525–35; birth + right

Example Sentences

“We like Mexican food, and we like to visit the restaurants. But we’re not going to sell out our birthright for a bean burrito.”

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This is one reason they are embracing increasingly extreme anti-majoritarian policies such as voter nullification, voter suppression, radical gerrymandering and even rewriting the Constitution to end birthright citizenship.

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If you accept the Constitution’s guarantee of birthright citizenship, then dissent from these principles isn’t a good reason to deny that those born in the U.S. are American citizens.

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They aren’t monarchs chosen by God or birthright, but fellow citizens elected to lead a nation designed around hard work, integrity, equality and meritocracy as the keys to prosperity.

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For Mr. Berry, you can come home again; indeed, the birthright of your ancestral tale means that you must.

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