Definitions for privilege
ˈprɪv ə lɪdʒ, ˈprɪv lɪdʒpriv·i·lege

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:2.5 / 6 votes

1. privilegenoun

   a special advantage or immunity or benefit not enjoyed by all

2. prerogative, privilege, perquisite, exclusive rightnoun

   a right reserved exclusively by a particular person or group (especially a hereditary or official right)

   "suffrage was the prerogative of white adult males"

3. privilegeverb

   (law) the right to refuse to divulge information obtained in a confidential relationship

4. privilege, favor, favourverb

   bestow a privilege upon

WiktionaryRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. privilegenoun

   A peculiar benefit, advantage, or favor; a right or immunity not enjoyed by others or by all; special enjoyment of a good, or exemption from an evil or burden; a prerogative; advantage; franchise; preferential treatment.

2. privilegenoun

   The status or existence of such benefit or advantage.

3. privilegenoun

   A common law doctrine that protects certain communications from being used as evidence in court.

4. privilegeverb

   To grant some particular right or exemption to; to invest with a peculiar right or immunity; to authorize; as, to privilege representatives from arrest.

5. privilegeverb

   To bring or put into a condition of privilege or exemption from evil or danger; to exempt; to deliver.

6. Etymology: From privilège, from privilegium, from privus + lex, legis.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Privilegenoun

   Etymology: privilege, Fr. privilegium, Lat.

   1. Peculiar advantage.

   Here’s my sword,
   Behold it is the privilege of mine honours,
   My oath, and my profession. William Shakespeare.

   He went
   Invisible, yet stay’d, such privilege
   Hath omnipresence. John Milton.

   He claims his privilege, and says ’tis fit,
   Nothing should be the judge of wit, but wit. John Denham.

   Smiles, not allow’d to beasts, from reason move,
   And are the privilege of human love. Dryden.

   The privilege of birth-right was a double portion. John Locke.

   2. Immunity; publick right.

   I beg the ancient privilege of Athens. William Shakespeare.

   A soul that can securely death defy,
   And counts it nature’s privilege to die. Dryden.

2. To Privilegeverb

   Etymology: from the noun.

   1. To invest with rights or immunities; to grant a privilege.

   The great are privileg’d alone,
   To punish all injustice but their own. Dryden.

   He happier yet, who privileg’d by fate
   To shorter labour, and a lighter weight,
   Receiv’d but yesterday the gift of breath,
   Ordain’d to-morrow to return to death. Matthew Prior.

   2. To exempt from censure or danger.

   The court is rather deemed as a privileged place of unbridled licentiousness, than as the abiding of him, who, as a father, should give a fatherly example. Philip Sidney, b. ii.

   He took this place for sanctuary,
   And it shall privilege him from your hands. William Shakespeare.

   This place
   Doth privilege me, speak what reason will. Daniel.

   3. To exempt from paying tax or impost.

   Many things are by our laws privileged from tythes, which by the canon law are chargeable. Matthew Hale.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Privilege

   Privilege (Set Me Free) is song by the Patti Smith Group and released as the second single from their 1978 album Easter. The original version of the song was titled "Free Me" and was written by Mel London and Mike Leander for the 1967 film Privilege. Patti spoke sections of Psalm 23 over the instrumental bridge among other lyrical additions.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. privilege

   Privilege refers to a special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group of people. It is often used in the context of social inequality, where certain groups or individuals have benefits that are unearned and mostly exclusive to them based on aspects such as race, gender, class, or sexual orientation.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. Privilegenoun

   a peculiar benefit, advantage, or favor; a right or immunity not enjoyed by others or by all; special enjoyment of a good, or exemption from an evil or burden; a prerogative; advantage; franchise

2. Privilegenoun

   see Call, Put, Spread, etc

3. Privilegeverb

   to grant some particular right or exemption to; to invest with a peculiar right or immunity; to authorize; as, to privilege representatives from arrest

4. Privilegeverb

   to bring or put into a condition of privilege or exemption from evil or danger; to exempt; to deliver

5. Etymology: [Cf. F. privilgier.]

WikidataRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Privilege

   A privilege is a special entitlement to immunity granted by the state or another authority to a restricted group, either by birth or on a conditional basis. It can be revoked in certain circumstances. In modern democratic states, a privilege is conditional and granted only after birth. By contrast, a right is an inherent, irrevocable entitlement held by all citizens or all human beings from the moment of birth. Various older privileges, such as the old common law privilege to title deeds, may still exist, but be of little relevance today. Etymologically a privilege means a "private law", or rule relating to a specific individual or institution. Boniface's abbey of Fulda, to cite an early and prominent example, was granted privilegium, setting the abbot in direct contact with the pope, bypassing the jurisdiction of the local bishop. One of the objectives of the French Revolution was the abolition of privilege. This meant the removal of separate laws for different social classes, instead subjecting everyone to the same common law. Privileges were abolished by the National Constituent Assembly on August 4, 1789. One common legal privilege in the United States is protection from the requirement to testify or provide documents in certain situations.

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Privilege

   priv′i-lej, n. an advantage to an individual: a right enjoyed only by a few: freedom from burdens borne by others: prerogative: a sacred and vital civil right: (Shak.) superiority.—v.t. to grant a privilege to: to exempt: to authorise, license.—adj. Priv′ileged.—Breach of privilege, any interference with or slight done to the rights or privileges of a legislative body; Question of privilege, any question arising out of the rights of an assembly or of its members; Writ of privilege, an order for the release of a person from custody. [Fr.,—L. privilegium—privus, single, lex, legis, a law.]

Matched Categories

1. • Advantage
   • Permit

British National Corpus

1. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'privilege' in Nouns Frequency: #1553

How to pronounce privilege?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say privilege in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of privilege in Chaldean Numerology is: 7

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of privilege in Pythagorean Numerology is: 4

Examples of privilege in a Sentence

1. Abby Wambach:

   I didn't understand it, as I retired I realized I'm a person that is afforded more privilege than 95 % of women footballers worldwide.

2. Sue Hodge:

   It's actually a privilege for me to clean houses and get rid of all the mouse poo and let the owners come home and feel like they can relax for at least for a day, until the mice come and poo again.

3. Rich Robinson:

   It is with great disappointment and regret that after having the privilege of writing and performing the music of The Black Crowes over the last 24 years, I find myself in the position of saying that the band has broken up.

4. Elizabeth Warren:

   In the wealthiest country on the planet, access to affordable and high-quality child care and early education should be a right, not a privilege reserved for the rich.

5. The President:

   You'll excuse the point of personal privilege -- I'll never forget you standing, Mitch, and saying, naming it after my deceased son. It meant a lot.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=privilege
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Privilege
3. ^ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
   https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=privilege
4. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Privilege
5. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
6. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/privilege
7. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=privilege
8. ^ Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37683/37683-h/37683-h.htm#:~:text=privilege