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
was charged with violating the victim's civil rights
Examples of civil rights in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
While in custody, Liles filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Sacramento County and the Sheriff’s Office that accuses the deputies of using excessive force in the November incident.
—
Rosalio Ahumada, Sacramento Bee, 30 May 2024
Shea is a civil rights and child welfare lawyer, according to a release from the DLCC, and lost a race against Manwaring in the 2022 general election by close to 4.5%.
—Ian Max Stevenson, Idaho Statesman, 30 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for civil rights 
Rosalio Ahumada, Sacramento Bee, 30 May 2024
Shea is a civil rights and child welfare lawyer, according to a release from the DLCC, and lost a race against Manwaring in the 2022 general election by close to 4.5%.
—Ian Max Stevenson, Idaho Statesman, 30 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for civil rights
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'civil rights.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Civil rights.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/civil%20rights. Accessed 2 Jun. 2024.
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