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 movementExamples of civil rights in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
About the candidates: Collins is a civil rights attorney and member of the Atlanta Board of Education.
—
Kristal Dixon, Axios, 20 Nov. 2024
The suit argued Terrell's civil rights were violated by actions taken by officers and named Sheriff Paul Penzone, Maricopa County, the City of Phoenix and city and county officers as defendants.
—Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 20 Nov. 2024
Attorneys for the family of late civil rights leader Malcolm X are officially moving forward with an explosive, $100 million lawsuit against the U.S. government and several government agencies.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 20 Nov. 2024
The report was conducted in collaboration with CAIR’s Center for the Prevention of Hate and Bullying, an anti-hate organization created by the nonprofit civil rights group in 2021.
—Molly Gibbs, The Mercury News, 19 Nov. 2024
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Kristal Dixon, Axios, 20 Nov. 2024
The suit argued Terrell's civil rights were violated by actions taken by officers and named Sheriff Paul Penzone, Maricopa County, the City of Phoenix and city and county officers as defendants.
—Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 20 Nov. 2024
Attorneys for the family of late civil rights leader Malcolm X are officially moving forward with an explosive, $100 million lawsuit against the U.S. government and several government agencies.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 20 Nov. 2024
The report was conducted in collaboration with CAIR’s Center for the Prevention of Hate and Bullying, an anti-hate organization created by the nonprofit civil rights group in 2021.
—Molly Gibbs, The Mercury News, 19 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for civil rights
Dictionary Entries Near civil rights
Cite this Entry
“Civil rights.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/civil%20rights. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
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