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

British Dictionary definitions for privilege

privilege
/ (ˈprɪvɪlɪdʒ) /

noun
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
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