equal protection

noun

: a guarantee under the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that a state must treat an individual or class of individuals the same as it treats other individuals or classes in like circumstances

Examples of equal protection in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The 14th Amendment provides for equal protection under the law for all U.S. citizens. —Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2025

The ruling stemmed from two cases regarding the admissions programs at both Harvard and the University of North Carolina, where the court ruled in an opinion with a conservative majority that both programs violate the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment. —Deena Zaru, ABC News, 17 Dec. 2024

The challengers, however, said that’s not how the Constitution’s guarantee of equal protection under the law works. —Maureen Groppe, USA TODAY, 9 Dec. 2024

The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) and GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD Law) filed a federal lawsuit on January 28 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against the Trump Administration in response to the order, saying the ban violates equal protection. —Solcyré Burga, TIME, 3 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1868, in the meaning defined above

Legal Definition

equal protection

noun

: a guarantee under the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that a state must treat an individual or class of individuals the same as it treats other individuals or classes in like circumstances

called also equal protection of the law

see also rational basis test, strict scrutiny, suspect classification

Note: The equal protection requirement of the Constitution protects against legislation that affects individuals differently without a rational basis for doing so. In reviewing claims of denial of equal protection, a court will uphold legislation that has a rational basis unless the legislation affects a fundamental right or involves a suspect classification, such as race. In such a case, the court will use a strict scrutiny standard of review and will strike down legislation that does not show a compelling need for discriminating.