political rights

American  

[puh-lit-ik-uhl rahyts] / pəˈlɪt ɪk əl ˈraɪts /

plural noun

singular

political right

1. rights that relate to participation in the political process, such as the right to vote, hold office, engage in public protest against the government, etc.

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Example Sentences

Against the conventional wisdom that civil rights were fundamentally different from political rights, Black Americans insisted that both were vital to make real America’s most cherished constitutional ideals.

From Slate • Apr. 15, 2026

If the court takes up the case, the nine face a maximum prison sentence of 20 years and the loss of their political rights for a decade.

From Barron's • Feb. 26, 2026

Few of King’s staff supported the effort, worrying that the strike — and the planned Poor People’s Campaign in Washington — distracted from the main goal of attaining voting and political rights for Black Americans.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 17, 2026

Turk added that people had made decisions "to vote or not to vote purely out of fear, flatly at odds with their internationally guaranteed civil and political rights".

From BBC • Jan. 30, 2026

In a country that preaches the virtues of democracy, one could reasonably assume that being stripped of basic political rights would be treated by judges and court personnel as a serious matter indeed.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander