civil rights

Plain English

Civil rights are the basic freedoms and protections that the law guarantees to everyone, regardless of race, religion, gender, or other characteristics. They include the right to vote, the right to fair treatment in housing and employment, and freedom from discrimination. Civil rights laws exist at both the federal and state level and are enforced by courts and government agencies. When someone's civil rights are violated—say, they're denied a job because of their race—they can sue for damages or seek other remedies.

Example

A restaurant refused to serve customers based on their skin color, violating their civil rights. The customers filed a lawsuit under federal civil rights laws and won damages for the discrimination.

Used in a sentence

“The defendant was charged with violating the victim's civil rights by using excessive force during an arrest.”

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