states' rights

noun

Rights reserved to the 50 state governments of the United States that allow each one to set policy on some issues, rather than being subject to federal policy, especially in reference to their right to allow slavery before the Civil War.

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Meanings

nounstates' rights pl (plural only)
  1. USpluralplural onlyconservatismgovernmentRights reserved to the 50 state governments of the United States that allow each one to set policy on some issues, rather than being subject to federal policy, especially in reference to their right to allow slavery before the Civil War.

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 州權 /州权
  • 州權 /州权 (zhōuquán)Translations
Cite this entry
APA

states' rights. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/states'%20rights

MLA

“states' rights.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/states'%20rights. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “states' rights,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/states'%20rights.

Source: states' rights on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.