Civil liberties
Etymology
From “civil,” from Latin “civilis,” “relating to citizens,” from “civis,” “citizen,” + “liberties,” from Latin “libertas,” “freedom.” The pairing names the freedoms belonging to one as a citizen, historically framed as restraints on rulers — the things the state is barred from doing to those it governs.
noun phrase · /SIV-il LIB-ur-teez/
Protections that limit what the government may do to you — freedoms of speech, belief, movement, and privacy the state must not violate.
What it names
Reach for it to name the shield against state power: the zones of life officials are forbidden to intrude upon.
Example
Emergency surveillance powers drew fire from civil liberties groups worried about lasting overreach.
Related idea
Civil liberties are freedoms from government interference (what the state cannot do to you); civil rights are entitlements to equal treatment and participation (what you can demand, often protection against discrimination by the state or others). Free speech is a liberty; equal access to the ballot is a right.
See also