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 libertarians contend that the heightened scrutiny has discouraged illegal immigrants from seeking marriage, … a fundamental right protected under the Constitution.
—Randy Kennedy
Randy Kennedy
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
Any such move would almost certainly spark a furious response from Democrats and civil liberty campaigners.
—James Bickerton, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Aug. 2025
Critics of the Trump administration’s policy warn, too, that prolonged detention could violate civil liberties and strain local infrastructure.
—Casey Smith, IndyStar, 18 July 2025
At the time, Mayfield accepted a court offer to admit to committing a hate crime and pleaded guilty to making criminal threats and violating someone’s civil liberties.
—Andrea Klick, Oc Register, 24 June 2025
In 2008, Durkin was selected as part of a joint effort by civil liberties advocates to provide civilian defense counsel to assist in the trial of five Guantanamo Bay detainees charged in the 9/11 attacks.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 22 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for civil liberty
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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James Bickerton, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Aug. 2025
Critics of the Trump administration’s policy warn, too, that prolonged detention could violate civil liberties and strain local infrastructure.
—Casey Smith, IndyStar, 18 July 2025
At the time, Mayfield accepted a court offer to admit to committing a hate crime and pleaded guilty to making criminal threats and violating someone’s civil liberties.
—Andrea Klick, Oc Register, 24 June 2025
In 2008, Durkin was selected as part of a joint effort by civil liberties advocates to provide civilian defense counsel to assist in the trial of five Guantanamo Bay detainees charged in the 9/11 attacks.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 22 July 2025
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 10 Aug. 2025.
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