Black Lives Matter

noun

: a movement founded in 2013 to end white supremacy and support Black communities

Note: Black Lives Matter was founded by Black community organizers Patrisse Khan-Cullors, Alicia Garza, and Opal Tometi after George Zimmerman was acquitted of charges relating to his fatal shooting of Black teenager Trayvon Martin in 2012; the movement expanded as people reacted to police killings of unarmed Black people in years following. The name Black Lives Matter functions as a declaration that Black people's lives have as much value as white people's lives, and as a call to end systems and practices that challenge this fact.

—abbreviation BLM

Examples of Black Lives Matter 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.
But at the core of two-tier policing is the complaint that protests against migration are dealt with more harshly than protests for Palestinians or Black Lives Matter. — Mark Sappenfield, Christian Science Monitor, 11 June 2026 The 2020 Black Lives Matter protests brought these faultlines – and all the actors willing to exploit them – back to the forefront of the national conversation. — Jack Crosbie, Rolling Stone, 12 June 2026 Particularly with pro-Black Lives Matter messages during the 2020 season. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 19 June 2026 Attending college during the Black Lives Matter protests, this audacious young man sent letters to his friends and family, encouraging us to become allies in the fight for equality and justice. — Chicago Tribune, 18 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for Black Lives Matter

Word History

First Known Use

2014, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Black Lives Matter was in 2014

Rhymes for Black Lives Matter

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Browse Nearby Words

blacklist
Black Lives Matter
black locust
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Cite this Entry

“Black Lives Matter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Black%20Lives%20Matter. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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