states' rights

American  

plural noun

1. the rights belonging to the various states, especially with reference to the strict interpretation of the Constitution, by which all rights not delegated by the Constitution to the federal government belong to the states.

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states' rights British  

plural noun

1. the rights and powers generally conceded to the states, or all those powers claimed for the states under some interpretations of the Constitution

2. a doctrine advocating the severe curtailment of Federal powers by such an interpretation of the Constitution

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states' rights Cultural  

1. Rights guaranteed to the states under the principle of federalism. Under the Constitution, states have considerable autonomy to pass, enforce, and interpret their own laws and to pursue their own public policy programs. Proponents of states' rights argue that the states should be governed with a minimum of interference from the federal government.

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The relationship between federal and state responsibilities has often been controversial. Until the middle of the twentieth century, for example, the Supreme Court left the interpretation of many civil rights guarantees to the states, resulting in hostile and widespread discrimination against minorities.

Other Word Forms

• states righter
  noun

Etymology

Origin of states' rights

An Americanism dating back to 1790–1800

Example Sentences

The court battle has drawn on precedents that stretch back to the foundation of the country, offering starkly contrasting visions of federal authority and states’ rights.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 14, 2025

Individual rights would have to make room for states' rights; optimism for pessimism; a republic of consumers for an apartheid state; capitalism for feudalism.

From Salon • Sep. 9, 2023

House of Representatives on Monday said they opposed a federal bill that would overturn a California animal welfare law, arguing it infringes on states' rights.

From Reuters • Aug. 21, 2023

“I believe in states’ rights and in the state law.

From Washington Times • Nov. 2, 2022

She also pointed out that the federal rights established by the Fourteenth Amendment took precedence over states’ rights, arguing that the states could not prohibit women from voting.

From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling