human rights

From human right +‎ -s (suffix forming plural nouns and pluralia tantum).

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌhjuːmən ˈɹaɪtz/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌhjumən ˈɹaɪtz/

• Audio (US):

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• Audio (US):

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• Hyphenation: hu‧man rights

human rights pl (plural only)

1. (international law) The set of basic rights and freedoms that all humans should be guaranteed, including the right to life and liberty, freedom of thought and expression, and equality before the law.
   • 1871, James Hurnard, The setting sun, a poem, page 86:

     This trampler upon human rights is — Fashion.
     Strange that mankind should love a despotism,
     And while they kick against one kind of rule,
     Should uncomplainingly endure another, […]

   • 1992, Richard Nixon, “The Pacific Triangle”, in Seize the Moment‎^[1], Simon & Schuster, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 178:

     We should not facilely judge China by the American standard of democracy, but its current human rights violations are beyond the pale. At the same time, we should not suspend our relationship because of the human rights issue. If we had always refused to deal with leaders who violated human rights, there would have been no opening to China in 1972.

   • 2008, Nancy Pelosi, “A Voice That Will Be Heard”, in Know Your Power: A Message to America's Daughters‎^[2], Doubleday, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 92:

     Another issue important to my district is human rights, specifically what is happening in China. My district includes San Francisco's famous Chinatown, and many of my constituents were deeply concerned—as was I—when the Chinese government began to crack down on protesters who were demonstrating peacefully in Beijing and throughout China. Huge demonstrations led to the Tiananmen Square massacre, where more than two thousand people who had dared to speak out against the government were killed and many more injured. The massacre was followed by even more suppression and imprisonment of protesters.

   • 2011 June 3, David Kravets, “U.N. Report Declares Internet Access a Human Right”, in Wired‎^[3], →ISSN:

     A United Nations report said Friday that disconnecting people from the internet is a human rights violation and against international law.

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:human rights.

• civil liberties
• civil rights

human rights

1. plural of human right

• human rights on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• “human rights, n.” under “human, adj. and n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, September 2021.
• “human right”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.