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

Jews and Democrats share an honorable history from FDR’s New Deal to civil rights.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026

The son of a Mexican man fatally shot by US immigration officials in Texas demanded an investigation on Wednesday, with a leading civil rights group calling it a "possible murder."

From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026

Billy G. Mills, a civil rights leader who was among the first Black men to serve on the Los Angeles City Council, has died.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 5, 2026

In another, Pittman declared a mistrial because one attorney in the case wore a civil rights-themed t-shirt, honoring the death of civil rights leader Jesse Jackson, claiming that the t-shirt contaminated the entire jury pool.

From Salon ● Jul. 3, 2026

Like many civil rights lawyers, I was inspired to attend law school by the civil rights victories of the 1950s and 1960s.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

Related Words

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