Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Frank-law \Frank"-law`\, n. [Frank free + law.] (Eng. Law)
The liberty of being sworn in courts, as a juror or witness;
one of the ancient privileges of a freeman; free and common
law; -- an obsolete expression signifying substantially the
same as the American expression civil rights.
--Abbot.
civil right \civil right\, civil rights \civil rights\ a legal right or rights belonging to a person by reason of citizenship, including especially the fundamental freedoms and privileges guaranteed by the 13th and 14th amendments and subsequent acts of congress, including the right to legal and social and economic equality.
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
1721, American English; specifically of black U.S. citizens from 1866.
Wiktionary
n. (context US English) Those rights which are expressly enumerated in the U.S. Constitution and are considered to be unquestionable, deserved by all people under all circumstances, especially without regard to race, creed, religion, sexual orientation, gender and disabilities.
WordNet
n. right or rights belonging to a person by reason of citizenship including especially the fundamental freedoms and privileges guaranteed by the 13th and 14th amendments and subsequent acts of Congress including the right to legal and social and economic equality [syn: civil right]
Wikipedia
Civil rights may refer to several different things:
- Civil rights movement, the social movement in the United States
- Civil and political rights are a class of rights ensuring things such as the protection of peoples' physical integrity; procedural fairness in law; protection from discrimination based on gender, religion, race, sexual orientation, etc.; individual freedom of belief, speech, association, and the press; and political participation
- Legal rights are rights that are bestowed by nations on those within their jurisdiction; they are sometimes also called civil rights in common law jurisdictions. Contrast with natural rights or human rights, which many scholars claim that individuals have by nature of being born
- Civil rights, in civil law jurisdictions, are rights or powers which can be exercised under civil law, which includes things such as the ability to contract. In civil law jurisdictions, lawsuits between private parties for things such as breach of contract or a tort are usually expressed in terms of infringement of a civil right
Usage examples of "civil rights".
It would be much easier, a heck of a lot cheaper and no risk at all to wait for the US Civil Rights Commission to do the work, then cover the Commission’.
No, if the Supreme Court invalidated the amendment, oh, we might reenact a few of the laws, but the main weapon for civil rights and civil liberties would be gone forever.
I want cops who know what it means when your civil rights are violated by a criminal.
They had nevertheless participated in it under the Republic, since senatus-consulta relating to civil rights have been preserved, which are much earlier than the reigns of Augustus or Tiberius.