privilege

[ priv-uh-lij, priv-lij ]

/ ˈprɪv ə lɪdʒ, ˈprɪv lɪdʒ /

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See synonyms for: privilege / privileged / privileges / privileging on Thesaurus.com

noun

a right, immunity, or benefit enjoyed by a particular person or a restricted group of people beyond the advantages of most: the privileges of the very rich.
the unearned and mostly unacknowledged societal advantage that a restricted group of people has over another group: white privilege based on skin color;male privilege;children of privilege.

a special right, immunity, or exemption granted to persons in authority or office to free them from certain obligations or liabilities: the privilege of a senator to speak in Congress without danger of a libel suit.

a grant to an individual, corporation, etc., of a special right or immunity, under certain conditions.

the principle or condition of enjoying special rights or immunities.

any of the rights common to all citizens under a modern constitutional government: We enjoy the privileges of a free people.

an advantage or source of pleasure granted to a person: It's my privilege to be here.

Stock Exchange. an option to buy or sell stock at a stipulated price for a limited period of time, including puts, calls, spreads, and straddles.

verb (used with object), priv·i·leged, priv·i·leg·ing.

to grant a privilege to.

to exempt (usually followed by from).

to authorize or license (something otherwise forbidden).

OTHER WORDS FOR privilege

4 license, freedom, liberty.

See synonyms for privilege on Thesaurus.com

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of privilege

First recorded in 1125–75; (noun) Middle English; earlier privilegie, from Old French privilege, from Latin prīvilēgium originally, “a law (for or against an individual),” equivalent to prīvi- (combining form of prīvus “one's own, private”) + lēg- (see legal) + -ium -ium; (verb) Middle English privilegen, from Middle French privilegier, from Medieval Latin prīvilēgiāre, derivative of prīvilēgium

synonym study for privilege

1. Privilege, prerogative refer to a special advantage or right possessed by an individual or group. A privilege is a right or advantage gained by birth, social position, effort, or concession. It can have either legal or personal sanction: the privilege of paying half fare; the privilege of calling whenever one wishes. Prerogative refers to an exclusive right claimed and granted, often officially or legally, on the basis of social status, heritage, sex, etc.: the prerogatives of a king; the prerogatives of management.

OTHER WORDS FROM privilege

priv·i·leg·er, nounpro·priv·i·lege, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use privilege in a sentence

Still professor emeritus, which actually gives me a great privilege of having free parking.
Please Get Your Noise Out of My Ears (Ep. 439)|Stephen J. Dubner|November 12, 2020|Freakonomics
Understanding how big politics actually are to your safety and livelihood came with me first, checking some of my privilege, and second, understanding capitalism and the oligarchy we live in a little better.
High Anxiety|Truthbetold|November 4, 2020|TruthBeTold.news
Google pays an estimated $8 billion to $12 billion for the privilege, and as a result the DOJ said nearly half of Google’s search traffic in 2019 came from Apple products.
Shares in Google’s parent soar 6% on ad sales rebound|Verne Kopytoff|October 29, 2020|Fortune
Analysts estimate Google pays more than $10 billion a year for the privilege and, since the designation costs Apple nothing, the money flows straight into Apple’s profits.
Delayed iPhone 12 sales could be a drag on Apple’s quarterly report|Aaron Pressman|October 29, 2020|Fortune

“At Twitter, we believe privacy is a fundamental human right, not a privilege,” he is expected to say.
Facebook, Google, Twitter CEOs clash with Congress in pre-election showdown|Tony Romm, Rachel Lerman, Cat Zakrzewski, Heather Kelly, Elizabeth Dwoskin|October 28, 2020|Washington Post
Policy is an ineffective tool to address the cultural problem of privileging access over ownership.
How Young People Are Destroying Liberty|James Poulos|October 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for privilege

privilege

/ (ˈprɪvɪlɪdʒ) /

noun

a benefit, immunity, etc, granted under certain conditions

the advantages and immunities enjoyed by a small usually powerful group or class, esp to the disadvantage of othersone of the obstacles to social harmony is privilege

any of the fundamental rights guaranteed to the citizens of a country by its constitution

the right of a lawyer to refuse to divulge information obtained in confidence from a client
the right claimed by any of certain other functionaries to refuse to divulge informationexecutive privilege

the rights and immunities enjoyed by members of most legislative bodies, such as freedom of speech, freedom from arrest in civil cases during a session, etc

US stock exchange a speculative contract permitting its purchaser to make optional purchases or sales of securities at a specified time over a limited period of timeSee also call (def. 61), put (def. 20), spread (def. 24c), straddle (def. 9)

verb (tr)

to bestow a privilege or privileges upon

(foll by from) to free or exempt

Word Origin for privilege

C12: from Old French privilēge, from Latin prīvilēgium law relevant to rights of an individual, from prīvus an individual + lēx law

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

privilege

OTHER WORDS FOR privilege

Origin of privilege

synonym study for privilege

OTHER WORDS FROM privilege

Words related to privilege

How to use privilege in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for privilege

Word Origin for privilege