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.

---

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

---

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.

---

Discover More

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

In 1961, the civil rights movement was intensifying across the United States as Dwight was serving as a pilot in the US Air Force.

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

Those investigations could result in discipline or charges, including for civil rights violations.

From Salon • Mar. 27, 2026

The community has been “shaken to its foundation,” said Ramirez, the founder of Justice for Migrant Women, a civil rights organization focusing on farmworker and migrant women.

From Salon • Mar. 22, 2026

The region became the birthplace of the Chicano civil rights movement that included the East L.A.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2026

The once-sleepy city of Selma was now the storm center of the civil rights movement, and tensions were rising.

From "Because They Marched" by Russell Freedman

Related Words

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