Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun plural Fundamental individual rights, such as freedom of speech and religion, especially as protected from excessive governmental intrusion by constitutional guarantees.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun
Civil rights andfreedoms such as the freedom from enslavement, freedom from torture, and right to a fair trial.
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treeseed commented on the word civil liberties
Civil liberties is the name given to freedoms that protect the individual from government to a certain extent. Civil liberties set limits for government so that it cannot abuse its power and interfere with the lives of its citizens.
Common civil liberties include freedom of association, freedom of assembly, freedom of religion, and freedom of speech, and additionally, the right to due process, to fair trial, and to privacy.
The formal concept of civil liberties dates back to the Magna Carta of 1215 which in turn was based on pre-existing documents.
_Wikipedia
February 4, 2008