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civil liberty

civil liberty

57 4.6
A basic right protected by law against unfair government action, like freedom of speech or religion
  • noun
  • /ˈsɪvəl ˈlɪbərti/
translation icon : libertad civil
  • The new law is designed to protect civil liberty, ensuring that everyone can express their opinions freely.
  • rights and civil liberties
  • civil liberties and political rights
  • constitutional civil liberties

But dealing with civil liberties and war, those are two big issues.

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Examples

  • In the past two years, there has been an improvement in civil liberties in China.

    Academic text (1999)
  • If we want others to value civil liberties, we need to stop spying on our own citizens.

    Academic text (2008)
  • How you balance that concern with civil liberties issues with making sure that you are following the law.

  • "The Irish Republic guarantees religious and civil liberty, "equal rights and equal opportunities to all."

  • But dealing with civil liberties and war, those are two big issues.

  • "We are an organisation devoted to civil liberties..."

  • Involved citizens who came down here so that local black folk could have their civil liberties.

  • Israel, on the other hand, is a parliamentary democracy with established civil liberties.

    Academic text (2008)
  • The answer to questions about how to balance civil liberties with legitimate security concerns remains elusive.

    Academic text (2008)
  • Not surprisingly, military surveillance in the 1960s provoked heated debate about civil liberties and the limits of government power.

    Academic text (1999)

Synonyms

freedom
vscivil liberty
1.0

The right to act, speak, or think as you want without being stopped

is a basic legal protection preventing unfair government interference with personal choices
civil right
vscivil liberty
561 3.1

A right the law gives people to be treated equally and have basic freedoms

is about basic freedoms protected from unfair government interference rather than equality focus
fundamental right
vscivil liberty
  • Specialized
21 3.3

A basic freedom that the law protects and guarantees to people

is a basic legal protection against unfair government interference
individual freedom
vscivil liberty
10 3.5

The right to choose what to think and do without unfair control by others

is the legal protection of specific freedoms from unfair government interference
liberty
vscivil liberty
9 3.2

The freedom to act, speak, or think without unnecessary restriction

is a basic legal protection specifically shielding freedoms from unfair government interference
right to liberty
vscivil liberty
  • Formal
1 5.0

A legal and moral claim to be free from unfair arrest and official control

focuses on specific basic freedoms protected by law from unfair government interference
1 3.6

Legal protections and choices each person has against unfair treatment

is a single specific basic guarantee focused on protection from government interference

Antonyms

120 5.5

A cruel use of power to control and hurt people

109 6.7

One person or a small group rules a country cruelly

How Fundamental

constitutional right
  • Formal
84 4.1
fundamental right
  • Specialized
21 3.3
civil liberty
57 4.6
legal right
  • Formal
48 3.2
privilege
444 3.7

Surface Forms

civil liberty singular

Morphology

civil + liberty

The meaning is directly derivable from the constituents: 'civil' (relating to citizens/public law) + 'liberty' (freedom) yields freedoms belonging to citizens or protected in civic life. This compositional interpretation matches common cross-linguistic patterns and a B1 learner who knows both words would reliably infer the MWE's basic meaning (the legal protection nuance is minor).

Etymology

Civil liberty comes from two simple ideas: civil means about the citizens of a country and liberty means being free. So, 'civil liberty' is the basic 'rights' or 'freedoms' that the law protects from unfair actions by the 'government'.