Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense privileges, present participle privileging, past tense, past participle privileged
1. countable noun
A privilege is a special right or advantage that only one person or group has.
The Russian Federation has issued a decree abolishing special privileges for governmentofficials.
...the ancient powers and privileges of the House of Commons.
Synonyms: right, benefit, due, advantage More Synonyms of privilege
2. uncountable noun
If you talk about privilege, you are talking about the power and advantage that only a small group of peoplehave, usually because of their wealth or their high social class.
Pironi was the son of privilege and wealth, and it showed.
Having been born to privilege in old Hollywood, she was carrying on a family traditionby acting.
3. singular noun
You can use privilege in expressions such as be a privilege or have the privilege when you want to show your appreciation of someone or something or to show your respect.
It must be a privilege to know such a man.
I had the privilege of meeting Mandela at the only service of the Order of Merithe attended.
4. verb
To privilege someone or something means to treat them better or differently than other people or things rather than treat them all equally.
...privileging a structure that rewards the fastest, strongest, and wealthiest amongus. [VERB noun]
They are privileging a tiny number to the disadvantage of the rest. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: favour, promote, spoil, side with More Synonyms of privilege
More Synonyms of privilege
privilege in British English
(ˈprɪvɪlɪdʒ)
noun
1.
a benefit, immunity, etc, granted under certain conditions
2.
the advantages and immunities enjoyed by a small usually powerful group or class, esp to the disadvantage of others
one of the obstacles to social harmony is privilege
3.
any of the fundamental rights guaranteed to the citizens of a country by its constitution
4.
a.
the right of a lawyer to refuse to divulge information obtained in confidence from a client
b.
the right claimed by any of certain other functionaries to refuse to divulge information
executive privilege
5.
the rights and immunities enjoyed by members of most legislative bodies, such as freedom of speech, freedom from arrest in civil cases during a session, etc
6. US stock exchange
a speculative contract permitting its purchaser to make optional purchases or sales of securities at a specified time over a limited period of time
See also call (sense 61), put (sense 20), spread (sense 24c), straddle (sense 9)
verb(transitive)
7.
to bestow a privilege or privileges upon
8. (foll by from)
to free or exempt
Word origin
C12: from Old French privilēge, from Latin prīvilēgium law relevant to rights of an individual, from prīvus an individual + lēx law
privilege in American English
(ˈprɪvəlɪdʒ; ˈprɪvlɪdʒ)
noun
1.
a right, advantage, favor, or immunity specially granted to one; esp., a right heldby a certain individual, group, or class, and withheld from certain others or all others
2.
a basic civil right, guaranteed by a government
3.
an option, as a put or call, to buy or sell a stock
verb transitiveWord forms: ˈprivileged or ˈprivileging
4.
to grant a privilege or privileges to
5.
to grant special favored status to
Word origin
OFr < L privilegium, an exceptional law for or against any individual < privus, private + lex (gen. legis), law: see legal
COBUILD Collocations
privilege
enjoy a privilege
grant a privilege
rare privilege
Examples of 'privilege' in a sentence
privilege
She teases apart privilege from power more finely than a philosophy textbook.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It is a great privilege to look after people's money.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It's a great privilege to be involved.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
What you can do is decide how you're going to use that privilege for good.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
This is baseless privilege recast into social shame.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
You enjoy the privileges of a club in which you and your spouse are the only members.
Christianity Today (2000)
He has cited executive privilege and refuses to testify.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
What this meant in practice was that no one could expect special privileges because of family connections.
Divine, Robert A. (editor) & Breen, T. H & Frederickson, George M & Williams, R. Hal America Past and Present (1995)
What about those who are born into money and privilege rather than acquiring it?
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Both are also footballers who have a certain privilege of hierarchy.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The key to such freedoms and privileges is money.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Meanwhile local people are bestowed the privilege of renting.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Yet none of them exudes a sense of power or particular privilege.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
What limitations should be placed on these rights and privileges?
A Conceptual View of Human Resource Management: Strategic Objectives, Environments,Functions
To be involved with people at that time is a privilege.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
This degree of class privilege is neither fair nor efficient.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Why give this special privilege to the king?
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
When you are born into the royal family you have incredible privilege and wealth.
The Sun (2013)
The actual privilege and social status of members of the retainer class varied considerably.
Sanderson, Stephen K. Macrosociology: An Introduction to Human Societies (1995)
Very few sportsmen have enjoyed the privilege of such total mastery.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Yet if membership of his family brought privilege, it also came at potentially fatal cost.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Since then the pressure for reform has died down and the industry's tax privileges have remained intact.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The song is a savage indictment of the advantages that educational privilege brings, and its selection provoked mockery.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
If the accused MPs persist with the ancient defence of privilege then use an equally ancient law against them.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
As well as visiting villages I had the privilege of meeting politicians and businessmen across the continent.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
What a refreshing change to the pomp and privilege that usually surrounds the Royal Family.
The Sun (2014)
In other languages
privilege
British English: privilege /ˈprɪvɪlɪdʒ/ NOUN
A privilege is a special right or advantage that only one person or group has.
...special privileges for government officials.
American English: privilege
Arabic: اِمْتِيَاز
Brazilian Portuguese: privilégio
Chinese: 特权
Croatian: privilegija
Czech: privilegium
Danish: privilegium
Dutch: privilege
European Spanish: privilegio
Finnish: etuoikeus
French: privilège
German: Privileg
Greek: προνόμιο
Italian: privilegio
Japanese: 特権
Korean: 특권
Norwegian: privilegium
Polish: przywilej
European Portuguese: privilégio
Romanian: privilegiu
Russian: привилегия
Latin American Spanish: privilegio
Swedish: privilegium
Thai: อภิสิทธิ์
Turkish: ayrıcalık
Ukrainian: привілей
Vietnamese: đặc ân
All related terms of 'privilege'
rare privilege
A privilege is a special right or advantage that only one person or group has.
special privilege
a legally endorsed privilege granted exclusively to some individual or group
enjoy a privilege
A privilege is a special right or advantage that only one person or group has.
executive privilege
the right of the executive branch of the government to withhold information from the public when its disclosure would adversely affect the functioning of the government
grant a privilege
A privilege is a special right or advantage that only one person or group has.
parliamentary privilege
legal immunity allowing lawmakers to speak freely without being subject to the usual laws of slander
Chinese translation of 'privilege'
privilege
(ˈprɪvɪlɪdʒ)
n
(c) (= benefit) 优(優)惠 (yōuhuì)
(s) (= honour) 荣(榮)幸 (róngxìng)
(u) (due to background) 特权(權) (tèquán)
1 (noun)
Definition
a benefit or advantage granted only to certain people
The ancient powers and privileges of the House of Commons.
Synonyms
right
a woman's right to choose
benefit
due
No doubt he felt it was his due.
advantage
claim
The Tudors had a tenuous claim to the monarchy.
freedom
freedom of speech
sanction
liberty
concession
The government has granted concessions to three private companies.
franchise
the franchise to build and operate the tunnel
entitlement
You lose your entitlement to benefit when you start work.
prerogative
I thought it was a woman's prerogative to change her mind?
birthright
Freedom is the natural birthright of every human.
2 (noun)
Definition
the power and advantages that come with great wealth or high social class
She was born into a life of privilege.
Synonyms
advantage
luxury
Relax in the luxury of a Roman-style bath.
indulgence
The car is one of my few indulgences.
affluence
3 (noun)
Definition
the opportunity to do something which gives you great satisfaction and which most people never have the chance to do
It's been a privilege to meet you.
Synonyms
honour
Five other cities had been competing for the honour of staging the Games.
pleasure
source of pleasure or pride or satisfaction
4 (noun)
He will use parliamentary privilege to make this information public.
Synonyms
immunity
The police are offering immunity to witnesses who can help them.
liberty
Such a system would be a blow to the liberty of the people.
exemption
new exemptions for students and the unwaged
dispensation
The committee were not prepared to grant special dispensation.
(verb)
They are privileging a tiny number to the disadvantage of the rest.
Synonyms
favour
There was good reason for favouring him.
promote
His country will do everything possible to promote peace.
spoil
side with
advance
He was busy advancing other people's work.
smile upon
pull strings for
treat with partiality
Additional synonyms
in the sense of advance
Definition
to further a cause
He was busy advancing other people's work.
Synonyms
promote,
help,
further,
aid,
forward,
champion,
push,
encourage,
assist,
plug (informal),
pave the way for,
hasten,
patronize,
succour,
lend support to
in the sense of birthright
Definition
privileges or possessions that a person has or is believed to be entitled to as soon as he or she is born
Freedom is the natural birthright of every human.
Synonyms
right,
due,
heritage,
privilege,
patrimony
in the sense of claim
Definition
a right or just title to something
The Tudors had a tenuous claim to the monarchy.
Synonyms
right,
title,
entitlement
Synonyms of 'privilege'
privilege
Explore 'privilege' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of concession
Definition
any grant of rights, land, or property by a government, local authority, or company
The government has granted concessions to three private companies.
Synonyms
privilege,
right,
permit,
licence,
franchise,
entitlement,
indulgence,
prerogative
in the sense of dispensation
Definition
any exemption from an obligation
The committee were not prepared to grant special dispensation.
Synonyms
exemption,
licence,
exception,
permission,
privilege,
relaxation,
immunity,
relief,
indulgence,
reprieve,
remission
in the sense of due
Definition
something that is owed or required
No doubt he felt it was his due.
Synonyms
right(s),
privilege,
entitlement,
deserts,
merits,
prerogative,
comeuppance (informal),
fair treatment,
just punishment,
deserved fate
in the sense of entitlement
You lose your entitlement to benefit when you start work.
Synonyms
right,
claim,
due,
licence,
permission,
privilege,
prerogative
in the sense of exemption
new exemptions for students and the unwaged
Synonyms
immunity,
freedom,
privilege,
relief,
exception,
discharge,
release,
dispensation,
absolution,
exoneration
in the sense of franchise
Definition
authorization granted to a distributor to sell a company's goods
the franchise to build and operate the tunnel
Synonyms
authorization,
right,
permit,
licence,
charter,
privilege,
prerogative
in the sense of freedom
Definition
the right or privilege of unrestricted access
freedom of speech
Synonyms
right,
privilege,
entitlement,
prerogative
in the sense of indulgence
Definition
something granted as a favour or privilege
The car is one of my few indulgences.
Synonyms
luxury,
treat,
extravagance,
favour,
privilege
in the sense of liberty
Definition
the freedom to choose, think, and act for oneself
Such a system would be a blow to the liberty of the people.
Synonyms
independence,
sovereignty,
liberation,
autonomy,
immunity,
self-determination,
emancipation,
self-government,
self-rule
in the sense of luxury
Relax in the luxury of a Roman-style bath.
Synonyms
pleasure,
delight,
comfort,
satisfaction,
enjoyment,
bliss,
indulgence,
gratification,
wellbeing
Additional synonyms
in the sense of prerogative
Definition
a special privilege or right
I thought it was a woman's prerogative to change her mind?
Synonyms
right,
choice,
claim,
authority,
title,
due,
advantage,
sanction,
liberty,
privilege,
immunity,
exemption,
birthright,
droit,
perquisite
in the sense of promote
Definition
to work for
His country will do everything possible to promote peace.