Civil Liberties

noun a person who is not in the military or the clergy

adjective courteous and polite

• The civil rights movement aimed to secure equal rights for all citizens.
• Let's try to have a civil discussion about this topic.
• Why can't we just be civil and get along?
• In the battle of ideas, it's important to maintain a civil tone.

noun a form of government in which a ruler has absolute power and authority

• The country's transition from a dictatorship to a democracy was a long and challenging process.
• Living under a dictatorship means having limited freedom and rights.
• Dictatorships suck, man. I feel bad for the people living there.
• In a dictatorship of fashion, trends are enforced without question.

noun a device that allows someone to secretly listen to or record someone else's telephone conversations

verb to secretly listen to or record someone else's telephone conversations

• The authorities obtained a court order to conduct a wiretap on the suspect's phone.
• I heard they put a wiretap on his phone to listen in on his conversations.
• The feds are tapping his phone with a wiretap.
• She felt like her thoughts were being wiretapped by her intrusive coworker.

noun a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea

adjective a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun

• Freedom of religion ensures that individuals can practice their protected beliefs without interference from the government.
• Everyone has the right to their own protected beliefs, and no one should try to change that.
• Don't mess with someone's protected beliefs, it's just not cool.
• In the garden of the mind, our protected beliefs are the flowers that need nurturing and care.