civil rights

American  

[siv-uhl rahyts] / ˈsɪv əl ˈraɪts /

plural noun

(often initial capital letters)

1. rights to personal liberty established by the 13th and 14th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution and certain Congressional acts, especially as applied to an individual or a minority group.

2. the rights to full legal, social, and economic equality extended to African Americans.

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civil rights British  

plural noun

1. the personal rights of the individual citizen, in most countries upheld by law, as in the US

2. (modifier) of, relating to, or promoting equality in social, economic, and political rights

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civil rights Cultural  

1. A broad range of privileges and rights guaranteed by the United States Constitution and subsequent amendments and laws that guarantee fundamental freedoms to all individuals. These freedoms include the rights of free expression and action (civil liberties); the right to enter into contracts, own property, and initiate lawsuits; the rights of due process and equal protection of the laws; opportunities in education and work; the freedom to live, travel, and use public facilities wherever one chooses; and the right to participate in the democratic political system.

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Efforts to redress the situation of inequality, such as the civil rights movement and the women's movement, have resulted in legislation such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, in affirmative action, and in the creation of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Etymology

Origin of civil rights

First recorded in 1715–25

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

civil rights

A DOJ spokesperson said that no decision had yet been made but noted that its civil rights division has had conversations with Minnesota prosecutors.

From Slate ● Aug. 28, 2026

Organized by veteran civil rights leader Al Sharpton and led by King's son Martin Luther King III, the demonstration drew support from more than 90 civil rights, labor, faith and community organizations.

From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026

You may not get everything you want, but we should all agree that the civil rights and liberties the founding fathers sought to enshrine in our Constitution must be defended.

From Salon ● Aug. 28, 2026

It’s a welcome change, and the stated reasoning behind the proposal sheds light on the original purpose of civil rights enforcement.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

A new civil rights movement cannot be organized around the relics of the earlier system of control if it is to address meaningfully the racial realities of our time.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

Related Words

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