birthright

American  

[burth-rahyt] / ˈbɜrθˌraɪt /

noun

• birthrights
  plural

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

   Democracy maintains that freedom is a birthright.

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birthright British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• birthrights
  plural

Etymology

Origin of birthright

First recorded in 1525–35; birth + right

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

birthright birthrights

Stern: I want to turn to the birthright citizenship case, because it’s another interesting data point here.

From Slate ● Aug. 31, 2026

The principle of birthright citizenship, known in legal terms as "jus soli" or "right of the soil", is enshrined in the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution.

From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026

The husband complained that “so many of the amenities that seemed almost a birthright when he was growing up now appear to be out of reach.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

In his opinion, “concurring in the judgment and dissenting in part,” Kavanaugh first agreed with the majority that the executive order’s limitations on birthright citizenship are invalid.

From Slate ● Jul. 15, 2026

Present or no, the royal blood of Oyo, of the Egba, was not the great birthright handed down to me.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson

"We were all aware that we weren't being knighted or accepting a peerage. We all knew that the right we stood to gain was fairly inconsequential as inherited birthrights go."

From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026

If birthrights actually existed, women might well feel that a lot of power is due to them.

From Salon ● Sep. 1, 2024

Now is the time to fulfill the birthrights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness called for in the Declaration of Independence.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 2, 2020

The dividing line traced by roadblocks also is tugging on sensitivities about birthrights and inequities, as Native American visitors worry about the social stigma of being locked out because of the contagion.

From Washington Times ● May 8, 2020

He had been robbed of his birthright by his own mother and the people of the Blue-grass, and Marjorie's people were now robbing his of their national birthrights as well.

From The Heart of the Hills by John Fox