privileged

[priv-uh-lijd, priv-lijd]

adjective

1. belonging to a class that enjoys special privileges; favored.

   the privileged few.

2. entitled to or exercising a privilege.

3. restricted to a select group or individual.

   privileged information; a privileged position.

4. Law.,  (of utterances or communications)

   1. not rendering the person making them liable to prosecution for libel or slander, in view of the attendant circumstances.

   2. not requiring any testimony concerning them to be presented in court.

5. Navigation.,  (of a vessel) having the right of way.

privileged

/ ˈprɪvɪlɪdʒd /

adjective

1. enjoying or granted as a privilege or privileges

2. law

   1. not actionable as a libel or slander

   2. (of a communication, document, etc) that a witness cannot be compelled to divulge

3. nautical (of a vessel) having the right of way

Other Word Forms

• nonprivileged adjective
• quasi-privileged adjective
• unprivileged adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of privileged¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; privilege + -ed ³

Example Sentences

"The answer is not only about having more women creators. We also need creators who are women of colour, more from the global south, and more from less privileged socio-economic backgrounds."

Read more on BBC

The whistleblower also highlighted an incident from March this year, when a so-called "red team" tasked with simulating a real life cyber attack was reportedly able to gain privileged access to One Login systems.

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Brown, who died Sept. 28 of cancer at the age of 87, often said higher education shouldn’t be “just be for the privileged and the lucky.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“One feels very privileged to be able to have comfort in their future,” she says.

Read more on Barron's

“One feels very privileged to be able to have comfort in their future,” she says.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• honored 
• powerful