Civil rights are the rights that people have in a society to equal treatment and equal opportunities, whatever their race, sex, or religion.
...the civil rights movement.
...violations of civil rights.
civil rights in British English
plural noun
1.
the personal rights of the individual citizen, in most countries upheld by law, as in the US
2. (modifier)
of, relating to, or promoting equality in social, economic, and political rights
civil rights in American English
US
those rights guaranteed to the individual by the 13th, 14th, 15th, and 19th Amendments to the Constitution of the United States and by other acts of Congress; esp., the right to vote, exemption from involuntary servitude, and equal treatment of all people with respect to the enjoyment of life, liberty, and property and to the protection of law
Examples of 'civil rights' in a sentence
civil rights
ever, there was an effort to raise funds for civil rights campaigns, Duane managed to wheedle a four-figure check from his mother.
Adair, Tom (Intro) THREE KINDS OF KISSING - SCOTTISH SHORT STORIES (1991)
The cause of civil rights was growing stronger in direct ratio to the disintegration of the hippie movement.
Adair, Tom (Intro) THREE KINDS OF KISSING - SCOTTISH SHORT STORIES (1991)
When he was her age he'd been an ardent activist, fighting against the war in Vietnam, fighting for civil rights.