animal rights

plural noun

: rights (as to fair and humane treatment) regarded as belonging fundamentally to all animals
animal rightist
-ˈrī-tist How to pronounce animal rights (audio)
noun

Examples of animal rights in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Behind the jokes, some campaigns have carried serious messages, like a man dressed as a fox advocating for animal rights who stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Burnham when the former Manchester mayor returned to parliament in June. — Reagan Yip, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026 Hollywood thrust him onto the global stage as the star of Free Willy, sparking a worldwide animal rights movement. — Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 13 Aug. 2026 And now, a quarter century later, the actress and animal rights activist throttled the internet once more by launching an OnlyFans in April, raking in millions during her first few months on the platform. — Marlow Stern, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026 Meghan personally called animal rights attorney Shannon Keith, who runs the Beagle Freedom Project, after hearing about 4,000 beagles being rescued from overcrowded and unsanitary conditions at the Envigo breeding and research plant in Virginia. — Audrey Schmidt, PEOPLE, 9 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for animal rights

Word History

First Known Use

1845, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of animal rights was in 1845

Rhymes for animal rights

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Browse Nearby Words

animal pole
animal rights
animal rouge
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Cite this Entry

“Animal rights.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/animal%20rights. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on animal rights

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about animal rights

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