civil liberties

Cultural  

1. In general, the rights to freedom of thought, expression, and action, and the protection of these rights from government interference or restriction. Civil liberties are the hallmark of liberal, democratic “free” societies. In the United States, the Bill of Rights guarantees a variety of civil liberties, most notably freedom of assembly, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, and freedom of speech, expressed in the First Amendment (see also First Amendment). (See civil rights.)

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Example Sentences

HRC President Kelley Robinson said, “This moment should serve as a wake-up call to every American who cares about civil liberties: when journalists can be detained for covering protests, none of us are safe.”

From Salon

Human rights and privacy campaigners have raised concerns, describing the announcement as "one of the most significant threats to civil liberties in the history of British policing".

From BBC

"It means that the civil liberties and constitutional rights of Canadians will be less likely to be trampled on because of government overreach," he added.

From Barron's

How should Americans balance concern about public transparency, safety and civil liberties when tracking ICE?

From The Wall Street Journal

But critics warn this could come at the cost of civil liberties and free speech.

From BBC

Related Words

• freedom
• freedom of religion
• freedom of speech
• human rights