civil liberty
noun
plural civil liberties
: freedom from arbitrary interference in one's speech or actions by other individuals or by the government especially as constitutionally guaranteed (as by the U.S. Bill of Rights)
—usually plural
Examples of civil liberties include freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly, freedom of the press, the right to privacy, and the right to due process of law.—
Ramon Martin
compare civil rights
Ramon Martin
civil libertarian
noun
plural civil libertarians
civil libertarian
adjective
… continued divisions within the GOP on civil libertarian issues.
—Ian Duncan and Lisa Mascaro
Ian Duncan and Lisa Mascaro
Examples of civil liberty in a Sentence
Freedom of speech is a civil liberty.
Recent Examples on the Web
The San Diego Union-Tribune consulted local attorneys and guides published by civil liberties groups on how people seeking to document law enforcement can exercise their rights safely and lawfully.
—Kristen Taketa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Feb. 2026
Towers worry civil liberty advocates The most basic models of Anduril’s towers stand 33 feet tall and are equipped with video cameras and artificial intelligence software that can spot a person nearly two miles away and log a vehicle from even farther, according to the company’s website.
—Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 15 Feb. 2026
Some civil liberty groups, such as the ACLU, have criticized Flock, saying the data provided to local law enforcement can be shared with federal agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection.
—Mason Leib, ABC News, 14 Feb. 2026
Immigration is primarily a federal responsibility, but Texas should not undermine due process or civil liberties.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for civil liberty
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show current usage.
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Kristen Taketa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Feb. 2026
Towers worry civil liberty advocates The most basic models of Anduril’s towers stand 33 feet tall and are equipped with video cameras and artificial intelligence software that can spot a person nearly two miles away and log a vehicle from even farther, according to the company’s website.
—Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 15 Feb. 2026
Some civil liberty groups, such as the ACLU, have criticized Flock, saying the data provided to local law enforcement can be shared with federal agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection.
—Mason Leib, ABC News, 14 Feb. 2026
Immigration is primarily a federal responsibility, but Texas should not undermine due process or civil liberties.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for civil liberty
Cite this Entry
“Civil liberty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/civil%20liberty. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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