Hillary Clinton has secured the Democratic nomination to become the first woman to be put forward for president by a major US political party.

Delegates from South Dakota gave Clinton 15 votes, ensuring that she had more than the 2,383 votes needed to win the nomination during a state-by-state roll call at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.

After an intense battle with former Democratic rival US Senator Bernie Sanders, Mrs Clinton is now the party's standard-bearer against Republican nominee Donald Trump in the November 8 election.

Delegates chanted "Hillary, Hillary" as US Senator Barbara Mikulski of Maryland formally put forward Mrs Clinton's name for the alphabetical roll-call vote.

"Yes, we do break barriers - I broke a barrier when I became the first Democratic woman elected to the Senate in her own right," Ms Mikulski said.

"So it is with a full heart that I'm here today to nominate Hillary Clinton to be the first woman president."

Although Mr Sanders endorsed the former Secretary of State and First Lady, some of his supporters protested against the party leadership's apparent support of Mrs Clinton during the bitter Democratic primary fight.