human rights

American  

[hyoo-muhn rahyts, yoo‑] / ˈhju mən ˈraɪts, ˈju‑ /

plural noun

1. fundamental rights, especially those believed to belong to an individual and in whose exercise a government may not interfere, as the rights to speak, associate, work, etc.

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human rights British  

plural noun

1. the rights of individuals to liberty, justice, etc

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human rights Cultural  

1. Freedom from arbitrary interference or restriction by governments. The term encompasses largely the same rights called civil liberties or civil rights but often suggests rights that have not been recognized.

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Political leaders in the United States often use the expression when speaking of rights violated by other nations.

Etymology

Origin of human rights

First recorded in 1785–95

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

human rights

The entire post-war economic world order was organized by the U.S. and a handful of allies, along with the institutions that undergird global commitments to human rights and international law.

From Salon ● Sep. 17, 2026

Ahead of its closure, "Alligator Alcatraz" drew criticism from lawyers, relatives of detainees and human rights advocates, who accused the government of holding undocumented migrants in harsh conditions and denying them meaningful due process.

From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026

One human rights concern raised in recent years is that AI can display biases against particular groups if trained on large datasets scraped from the internet which can include racist, sexist and other undesirable material.

From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026

Asked by the BBC to comment on this story, there was no response from the Kursk governor, Russia's human rights commissioner or the Russian Red Cross.

From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026

As boats arrived in Saint Domingue from France, slaves learned that a revolution was going on in the name of human rights.

From "Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom, and Science" by Marc Aronson

Related Words

• civil rights