civil liberty: Meaning and Definition of

civ'il lib'erty

Pronunciation: [key]
— Usually,civil liberties.
  1. the freedom of a citizen to exercise customary rights, as of speech or assembly, without unwarranted or arbitrary interference by the government.
  2. such a right as guaranteed by the laws of a country, as in the U.S. by the Bill of Rights.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.