Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Privilege
Priv′i-lege
,Noun.
1.
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.
He pleads the legal
privilege
of a Roman. Kettlewell.
The
privilege
birthright was a double portion. Locke.
A people inheriting
privileges
, franchises, and liberties. Burke.
2.
(Stockbroker’s Cant)
Breach of privilege
. See under
– Breach
. Question of privilege
(Parliamentary practice)
, a question which concerns the security of a member of a legislative body in his special privileges as such.
– Water privilege
, the advantage of having machinery driven by a stream, or a place affording such advantage.
[ U. S.]
– Writ of privilege
(Law)
, a writ to deliver a privileged person from custody when arrested in a civil suit.
Blackstone.
Syn. – Prerogative; immunity; franchise; right; claim; liberty.
–
Privilege
, Prerogative
. Privilege, among the Romans, was something conferred upon an individual by a private law; and hence, it denotes some peculiar benefit or advantage, some right or immunity, not enjoyed by the world at large. Prerogative, among the Romans, was the right of voting first; and, hence, it denotes a right of precedence, or of doing certain acts, or enjoying certain privileges, to the exclusion of others. It is the privilege of a member of Congress not to be called in question elsewhere for words uttered in debate. It is the prerogative of the president to nominate judges and executive officers. It is the privilege of a Christian child to be instructed in the true religion. It is the prerogative of a parent to govern and direct his children. Priv′i-lege
,Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Privileged
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Privileging
.] [Cf. F.
privilégier
.] 1.
To grant some particular right or exemption to; to invest with a peculiar right or immunity; to authorize;
as, to
. privilege
representatives from arrestTo
privilege
dishonor in thy name. Shakespeare
2.
To bring or put into a condition of privilege or exemption from evil or danger; to exempt; to deliver.
He took this place for sanctuary, And it shall
privilege
him from your hands. Shakespeare
Webster 1828 Edition
Privilege
PRIV'ILEGE
,Noun.
1.
A particular and peculiar benefit or advantage enjoyed by a person, company or society, beyond the common advantages of other citizens. A privilege may be a particular right granted by law or held by custom, or it may be an exemption from some burden to which others are subject. The nobles of Great Britain have the privilege of being triable by their peers only. Members of parliament and of our legislatures have the privilege of exemption from arrests in certain cases. The powers of a banking company are privileges granted by the legislature. He pleads the legal privilege of a Roman.
The privilege of birthright was a double portion.
2.
Any peculiar benefit or advantage, right or immunity, not common to others of the human race. Thus we speak of national privileges, and civil and political privileges, which we enjoy above other nations. We have ecclesiastical and religious privileges secured to us by our constitutions of government. Personal privileges are attached to the person; as those of embassadors, peers, members of legislatures, &c. Real privileges are attached to place; as the privileges of the king's palace in England.3.
Advantage; favor; benefit. A nation despicable by its weakness, forfeits even the privilege of being neutral.
Writ of privilege, is a writ to deliver a privileged person from custody when arrested in a civil suit.
PRIV'ILEGE
,Verb.
T.
1.
To exempt from ensure or danger. This place doth privilege me.
Definition 2024
Privilege
privilege
privilege
English
Alternative forms
- priviledg, priviledge (obsolete)
Noun
privilege (countable and uncountable, plural privileges)
- (ecclesiastical law, now chiefly historical) An exemption from certain laws granted by the Pope. [from 8th c.]
- (countable) A particular benefit, advantage, or favor; a right or immunity enjoyed by some but not others; a prerogative, preferential treatment. [from 10th c.]
- All first-year professors here must teach four courses a term, yet you're only teaching one! What entitled you to such a privilege?
- An especially rare or fortunate opportunity; the good fortune (to do something). [from 14th c.]
- 2012, The Observer, letter, 29 April:
- I had the privilege to sit near him in the House for a small part of his Commons service and there was an additional device provided to aid his participation in debates.
- 2012, The Observer, letter, 29 April:
- (uncountable) The fact of being privileged; the status or existence of (now especially social or economic) benefit or advantage within a given society. [from 14th c.]
- c. 1390, Geoffrey Chaucer, Melibeus:
- He is worthy to lesen his priuilege that mysvseth the myght and the power that is yeuen hym.
- 1938, George Orwell, Homage to Catalonia:
- In that community where no one was on the make, where there was a shortage of everything but no privilege and no boot-licking, one got, perhaps, a crude forecast of what the opening stages of Socialism might be like.
- 2013, The Guardian, 21 Oct, (headline):
- South Africa's 'miracle transition' has not put an end to white privilege.
- c. 1390, Geoffrey Chaucer, Melibeus:
- A right or immunity enjoyed by a legislative body or its members. [from 16th c.]
- 2001, The Guardian, leader, 1 May:
- Dr Grigori Loutchansky is – according to a congressman speaking under congressional privilege – a "purported Russian mob figure".
- 2001, The Guardian, leader, 1 May:
- (countable, US, finance, now rare) A stock market option. [from 19th c.]
- (law) A common law doctrine that protects certain communications from being used as evidence in court.
- Your honor, my client is not required to answer that; her response is protected by attorney-client privilege.
- (computing) An ability to perform an action on the system that can be selectively granted or denied to users; permission.
Synonyms
- (right or immunity not enjoyed by others): freelage
- (finance):
- (law):
- (computing):
Derived terms
Translations
exemption from certain laws granted by the Pope
|
particular benefit, advantage, or favor
|
|
rare or fortunate opportunity
|
status or existence of privileges
|
right or immunity enjoyed by a legislative body
|
finance: stock market option
|
computing: selectively granted ability
|
Verb
privilege (third-person singular simple present privileges, present participle privileging, simple past and past participle privileged)
- (archaic) To grant some particular right or exemption to; to invest with a peculiar right or immunity; to authorize; as, to privilege representatives from arrest.
- (archaic) To bring or put into a condition of privilege or exemption from evil or danger; to exempt; to deliver.
Translations
to grant some particular right or exemption to
|
|
to bring or put into a condition of privilege or exemption from evil or danger
|
|
Related terms
Old French
Noun
privilege m (oblique plural privileges, nominative singular privileges, nominative plural privilege)
- privilege (benefit only given to certain people)
Descendants
References
- (fr) Godefroy, Frédéric, Dictionnaire de l'ancienne langue française et de tous ses dialectes du IXe au XVe siècle (1881) (privilege, supplement)