Final answer:
Civil rights refer to the rights of all people to be free from irrational discrimination based on characteristics such as race, religion, gender, or ethnic origin.
Step-by-step explanation:
Civil rights refer to the rights of all people to be free from irrational discrimination such as that based on race, religion, gender, or ethnic origin. Civil rights are government guarantees of equal treatment without discrimination based on characteristics an individual shares with a particular population. These rights are important to ensure that each person is treated equally and protected from any form of discrimination.