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

Princeton's WordNet(2.50 / 6 votes)Rate this definition:

1. privilege(noun)

   a special advantage or immunity or benefit not enjoyed by all

2. prerogative, privilege, perquisite, exclusive right(noun)

   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. privilege(verb)

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

4. privilege, favor, favour(verb)

   bestow a privilege upon

Wiktionary(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. privilege(Noun)

   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.

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

2. privilege(Noun)

   The status or existence of such benefit or advantage.

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

3. privilege(Noun)

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

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

4. privilege(Verb)

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

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

5. privilege(Verb)

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

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

Webster Dictionary(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Privilege(noun)

   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

   Etymology: [Cf. F. privilgier.]

2. Privilege(noun)

   see Call, Put, Spread, etc

   Etymology: [Cf. F. privilgier.]

3. Privilege(verb)

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

   Etymology: [Cf. F. privilgier.]

4. Privilege(verb)

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

   Etymology: [Cf. F. privilgier.]

Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

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 Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

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.]

British National Corpus

1. Nouns Frequency

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

How to pronounce privilege?

1. 

   Alex

   US English

   

   Daniel

   British

   

   Karen

   Australian

   

   Veena

   Indian

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. Og Mandino:

   Today, and every day, deliver more than you are getting paid to do. The victory of success will be half won when you learn the secret of putting out more than is expected in all that you do. Make yourself so valuable in your work that eventually you will become indispensable. Exercise your privilege to go the extra mile, and enjoy all the rewards you receive. You deserve them!

2. Kamala Harris:

   Access to affordable healthcare should not be a privilege for those who can pay it, it should be a right for everybody.

3. Adam Schiff:

   Ultimately though one thing is clear, because we have adduced so much evidence of guilt of this President, so much evidence of serious misconduct, any privilege the President would have would be vitiated by this crime fraud exception. So that will give way, and if it doesn't to quote my colleague Chairman (Jerry) Nadler, it will mean that either Justice Roberts or the Supreme Court itself is not really a conservative justice or court, merely a partisan one. And I have to hope that is not the case for the country's sake.

4. Bob Baffert:

   Justify is one of the finest horses Ive had the privilege of training and by any standard is one of the greatest of all time, i am proud to stand by his record and my own.

5. John Cowan:

   I’m kind of at an advantage because of my white privilege, so my suffering is self-inflicted, others don’t have that choice. It’s inflicted upon them.

Images & Illustrations of privilege

Popularity rank by frequency of use