Bill of Rights

[ biluhv rahyts ]

noun
  1. the Bill of Rights, a formal statement of the fundamental rights of the people of the United States, such as freedom of religion, speech, and the press, incorporated in the Constitution as Amendments 1–10, and in all state constitutions.

  2. Sometimes bill of rights . a statement of the fundamental rights of the people of any nation.

  1. Often bill of rights . a statement of the rights belonging to or sought by any group: Our student bill of rights would include the right to dress as we please.

  2. an English statute of 1689 confirming, with minor changes, the Declaration of Rights , which declared the rights and liberties of the subjects and settled the succession of William III and Mary II.

Origin of Bill of Rights

1
First recorded in 1780–90 for def. 1, 1760–70 for def. 2, 1689 for def. 4

Words Nearby Bill of Rights

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How to use Bill of Rights in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for Bill of Rights

Bill of Rights

noun
  1. an English statute of 1689 guaranteeing the rights and liberty of the individual subject

  2. the first ten amendments to the US Constitution, added in 1791, which guarantee the liberty of the individual

  1. (in Canada) a statement of basic human rights and freedoms enacted by Parliament in 1960

  2. (usually not capitals) any charter or summary of basic human rights

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for Bill of Rights

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the Constitution of the United States. Among other provisions, they protect the freedoms of speech, religion, assembly, and the press (see First Amendment) (see also First Amendment); restrict governmental rights of search and seizure; and list several rights of persons accused of crimes (see Fifth Amendment).

Notes for Bill of Rights

After the new Constitution was submitted to the states in 1787, several approved it only after being assured that it would have a bill of rights attached to it. Accordingly, these amendments were passed by the first Congress under the Constitution and were ratified by the states in 1791.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.