civil liberty

noun Usually civil liberties.

the freedom of a citizen to exercise customary rights, as of speech or assembly, without unwarranted or arbitrary interference by the government.
such a right as guaranteed by the laws of a country, as in the U.S. by the Bill of Rights.

Origin of civil liberty

First recorded in 1635–45

Words nearby civil liberty

civil engineer, civil engineering, civil law, civil libertarian, civil liberties, civil liberty, civil list, civil marriage, civil partnership, civil righter, civil rightist

Words related to civil liberties

freedom, rights

British Dictionary definitions for civil liberties

civil liberty

noun

the right of an individual to certain freedoms of speech and action

Cultural definitions for civil liberties

civil liberties

In general, the rights to freedom of thought, expression, and action, and the protection of these rights from government interference or restriction. Civil liberties are the hallmark of liberal, democratic “free” societies. In the United States, the Bill of Rights guarantees a variety of civil liberties, most notably freedom of assembly, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, and freedom of speech, expressed in the First Amendment (see also First Amendment). (See civil rights.)