bill of rights

noun phrase

variants or Bill of Rights
: a document containing a formal statement of rights
a patients' bill of rights
specifically : a summary of fundamental rights and privileges guaranteed to a people against violation by the state
used especially of the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution

Examples of bill of rights in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Hernandez is a group member and spoke about how the members' experiences came to inspire the bill of rights. The Arizona Republic, 12 Jan. 2024 And this past summer, New York City became the first city in the nation to pass a homeless bill of rights. Tribune News Service, Hartford Courant, 7 Jan. 2024 Utah and Arkansas are among the states that have passed digital privacy laws or bills of rights to limit the use of social media by minors or restrict social media companies’ use of customer information. Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff, Washington Post, 11 Jan. 2024 Multiyear effort in Michigan In pushing for a homeless bill of rights in Michigan, Dievendorf is resurrecting legislation that died in 2016 and 2017. Tribune News Service, Hartford Courant, 7 Jan. 2024 In 2021, heiress and media mogul Paris Hilton spoke on Capitol Hill in support of a bill of rights for teenagers in congregate care facilities. Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 7 Jan. 2024 In a rare moment of concord, members of the United Nations General Assembly rose to honor an American political leader for her role in crafting the world’s first international bill of rights. Joseph Loconte, National Review, 10 Dec. 2023 In the late eighteenth century, liberal thinkers worried about the despotic state and religious and revolutionary fanaticism and sought freedom through constitutions and bills of rights. Alan S. Kahan, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2023 The workers’ bill of rights also urges state officials to protect indoor and outdoor workers from deadly heat and lung-scarring wildfire smoke — threats that are getting worse and worse as temperatures rise with the burning of fossil fuels. Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bill of rights.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1701, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bill of rights was in 1701

Dictionary Entries Near bill of rights

Cite this Entry

“Bill of rights.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bill%20of%20rights. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

bill of rights

often capitalized B&R
: a statement of basic rights and privileges guaranteed to a people
especially : the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution

Legal Definition

bill of rights

-ˈrīts
often capitalized B&R
: a summary of fundamental rights and privileges guaranteed to a people against violation by the government;
esp, cap B&R : the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution

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