bill of rights

noun phrase

variants or Bill of Rights

1

usually Bill of Rights : a summary of fundamental rights and privileges that a government guarantees to the people

—used especially of the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution

The Bill of Rights is the first 10 Amendments to the Constitution. It spells out Americans' rights in relation to their government. It guarantees civil rights and liberties to the individual—like freedom of speech, press, and religion. It sets rules for due process of law and reserves all powers not delegated to the Federal Government to the people or the States. And it specifies that "the enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people."

—National Archives and Records Administration

2

: a document containing a formal statement of rights

a patients' bill of rights

Examples of bill of rights in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The law expanded protections for to these people under the homeless bill of rights established in 2013. —Luke Feeney, Hartford Courant, 23 Mar. 2024

Even as inflation wanes, voters still worry about getting by Adult dancers in Washington state want a strippers’ bill of rights. —San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Feb. 2024

Meanwhile, in Tallahassee, due to the lobbying efforts of these same corporate landlords, the right-wing supermajority has prevented local governments from passing deeply popular, common sense policies like rent stabilization or a tenants’ bill of rights. —Annastacia Robinson, Sun Sentinel, 9 Sep. 2024

Allred has also gone so far as to oppose a parents' bill of rights that would give people the ability to intervene in their daughters competing and sharing locker rooms with biological males at public schools. —Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 30 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1768, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

bill of rights

often capitalized B&R

: a statement of basic rights and privileges guaranteed to a people

especially : the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution

Legal Definition

bill of rights

-ˈrīts

often capitalized B&R

: a summary of fundamental rights and privileges guaranteed to a people against violation by the government

especially, capitalized B&R : the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution