Privilege Definition
prĭvə-lĭj, prĭvlĭj
privileged, privileges, privileging
noun
privileges
A right, advantage, favor, or immunity specially granted to one; esp., a right held by a certain individual, group, or class, and withheld from certain others or all others.
Webster's New World
A basic civil right, guaranteed by a government.
Webster's New World
Such an advantage, immunity, or right held as a prerogative of status or rank, and exercised to the exclusion or detriment of others.
American Heritage
The principle of granting and maintaining a special right or immunity.
A society based on privilege.
American Heritage
Protection from being forced to disclose confidential communications in certain relationships, as between attorney and client, physician and patient, or priest and confessor.
American Heritage
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
verb
privileged, privileges, privileging
To grant a privilege or privileges to.
Webster's New World
To grant special favored status to.
Webster's New World
To free or exempt.
American Heritage
(archaic) To bring or put into a condition of privilege or exemption from evil or danger; to exempt; to deliver.
Wiktionary
Origin of Privilege
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Middle English from Old French from Latin prīvilēgium a law affecting one person prīvus single, alone per1 in Indo-European roots lēx lēg- law leg- in Indo-European roots
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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From Old French privilege, from Latin privilegium (“an ordinance or law against or in favor of an individual”), from privus (“private”) + lēx, legis (“law”).
From Wiktionary
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