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.

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.]

FreebaseRate 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. Luis Grijalva:

   It's a privilege and an honor to represent Guatemala because that's where I was born,( where I) have generations of family and that's where my roots started.

2. Natalie Portman:

   I am deeply touched and humbled by this honor, i am proud of my Israeli roots and Jewish heritage ; they are crucial parts of who I am. It is such a privilege to be counted among the outstanding Laureates whom I admire so much.

3. Kellyanne Conway:

   Executive privilege is always an option, it's always on the table. But Don McGahn has already talked under oath for 30 hours. And this is just presidential harassment.

4. House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff:

   The DNI acknowledged that this involves someone apparently outside of the authority of The DNI. Someone above The DNI -- there aren't that many in that category. And they also suggested that there may be privilege issues here, which means that it would have to involve communications of the President or people around him.

5. Donald Trump:

   Senator Paul has no chance of wining the nomination and the people of Kentucky should not allow him the privilege of remaining their senator. Rand should save his lobbyist's and special interest money and just go quietly home, rand's campaign is a total mess, and as a matter of fact, I didn't know he had anybody left in his campaign to make commercials who are not currently under indictment!

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