prerogative

American  

[pri-rog-uh-tiv, puh-rog-] / prɪˈrɒg ə tɪv, pəˈrɒg- /

noun

• prerogatives
  plural

1. an exclusive right, privilege, etc., exercised by virtue of rank, office, or the like.

   the prerogatives of a senator.

2. a right, privilege, etc., limited to a specific person or to persons of a particular category.

   It was the teacher's prerogative to stop the discussion.

3. a power, immunity, or the like restricted to a sovereign government or its representative.

   The royal prerogative exempts the king from taxation.

4. Obsolete. precedence.

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adjective

1. having or exercising a prerogative.

2. pertaining to, characteristic of, or existing by virtue of a prerogative.

prerogative British  

/ prɪˈrɒɡətɪv /

noun

1. an exclusive privilege or right exercised by a person or group of people holding a particular office or hereditary rank

2. any privilege or right

3. a power, privilege, or immunity restricted to a sovereign or sovereign government

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adjective

1. having or able to exercise a prerogative

Synonym Usage

See privilege.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• prerogatives
  plural

Etymology

Origin of prerogative

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin praerogātīvus (adjective) “voting first,” praerogātīva (noun use of feminine of adjective) “tribe or century with right to vote first.” See pre-, interrogative

Explanation

A prerogative is someone's special right or privilege. As Bobby Brown once sang, "I don't need permission / Make my own decisions / That's my prerogative." Prerogative goes back to a Latin root for a group having the right to vote first (prae-, "pre-" + rogare, "to ask") and thus came to mean "privileged rank." In current use, it refers to a right or privilege held by any person or group. A near synonym is privilege, which puts more emphasis on the fact that others do not have it. The self-justifying phrase "That's my prerogative" (for example, in reference to changing one's mind) is quite common.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

prerogative prerogatives

Of course, he didn’t have to, since as Tennessee’s Chief Executive, he has the prerogative to grant or withhold clemency as he sees fit.

From Slate ● Oct. 1, 2026

The area that Warsh can most quickly affect change is his press conference Wednesday, because that has always been the sole prerogative of the Fed chair.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 14, 2026

Like Lake, defensive lineman Kobie Turner insistently cautioned that whatever Donald decides to do or not do was his former teammate’s prerogative.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2026

"Some people will never want to disclose their menopausal status at work, no matter how compassionate or supportive their organisation is, and that is absolutely their prerogative," she adds.

From BBC ● Jan. 22, 2026

For Hoagland’s is a constant prerogative: You know better, Harry.

From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee

His historical legacy rests not only on his mastery of parliamentary procedure, but on his deployment of the upper chamber’s prerogatives with lethal precision.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026

Eswar Prasad: I haven’t been entirely surprised because I could see that there are certain economic prerogatives of the current administration that seemed to take precedence over many other considerations.

From Barron's ● Jan. 22, 2026

A Cas statement said the FIG argued it had "no prerogatives" in the issuing of entry visas, and the Indonesian government's decision not to grant the visas falls "outside the competence" of the organisation.

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2025

Each chamber could even sue in court to vindicate its stolen prerogatives.

From Slate ● Mar. 26, 2025

The main charge levied against Washington was that he had made himself into a quasi king: “We have given him the powers and prerogatives of a King,” claimed one New York editorial.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

Related Words

• immunity
• perquisite