civil rights

plural noun

: rights that citizens are guaranteed by their government through legislation or other government action to ensure equal opportunities (as for employment, education, housing, or voting) and equal protection under the law regardless of personal characteristics such as race, religion, or sex

especially : the rights of personal liberty guaranteed to U.S. citizens by the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the Constitution and by acts of Congress

Note: The 13th Amendment (ratified 1865) abolished slavery and the 14th Amendment (ratified 1868) granted citizenship and equal rights to all people born or naturalized in the U.S., including formerly enslaved people and African Americans generally. The 15th Amendment (ratified 1870) guaranteed the right to vote regardless of color or former enslavement.

compare civil liberty see also civil rights movement

Examples of civil rights in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Some members of Congress urged against use of Clearview AI products and other facial recognition systems in February 2022 due to potential civil rights violations, including threats to privacy. —Minnah Arshad, USA TODAY, 24 Sep. 2024

For decades now, communities, educators, policymakers, civil rights activists, philanthropic organizations, and others have launched numerous efforts to bring about improvement in our public schools. —Raymond Pierce, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024

Harris is on firmer footing with older and more educated Black voters, especially those who identify with the legacy of the civil rights era. —Noah Bierman, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2024

The bronze Cash statue is the second statue of an Arkansan to be installed on Capitol Hill this year; a similar sculpture of civil rights leader Daisy Bates was unveiled to the public in May. —Alex Thomas, arkansasonline.com, 22 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

see civil

First Known Use

1660, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

civil rights

plural noun

: the nonpolitical rights of a citizen

especially : the rights of personal liberty guaranteed to U.S. citizens by the 13th and 14th amendments to the Constitution and by acts of Congress