civil rights; people's rights
Refers to the rights of citizens, especially in political and historical contexts such as the Freedom and People's Rights Movement (自由民権運動).
The Freedom and People's Rights Movement was a political movement in the Meiji era that sought the expansion of civil rights.
The constitution guarantees the people's civil rights.
Compound of 民 (people) and 権 (rights, authority). The term gained prominence during the Meiji era with the rise of the Freedom and People's Rights Movement.