Privilege

• POS: Noun, Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: priv=i=lege

CIDE DICTIONARY

Privilege, n. [F. privilège, L. privilegium an ordinance or law against or in favor of an individual; privus private + lex, legis, law. See Private, and Legal.].

•  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.  [1913 Webster]

  "He pleads the legal privilege of a Roman."  [1913 Webster]

  "The privilege birthright was a double portion."  [1913 Webster]

  "A people inheriting privileges, franchises, and liberties."  [1913 Webster]
•  See Call, Put, Spread, etc.  [1913 Webster]

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, v. t. [Cf. F. privilégier.].

•  To grant some particular right or exemption to; to invest with a peculiar right or immunity; to authorize; as, to privilege representatives from arrest.  [1913 Webster]

  "To privilege dishonor in thy name."  [1913 Webster]
•  To bring or put into a condition of privilege or exemption from evil or danger; to exempt; to deliver.  [1913 Webster]

  "He took this place for sanctuary, And it shall privilege him from your hands."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Privilege, n. & v.
--n.
1 a a right, advantage, or immunity, belonging to a person, class, or office. b the freedom of members of a legislative assembly when speaking at its meetings.
2 a special benefit or honour (it is a privilege to meet you).
3 a monopoly or patent granted to an individual, corporation, etc.
4 US Stock Exch. an option.
--v.tr.
1 invest with a privilege.
2 (foll. by to + infin.) allow (a person) as a privilege (to do something).
3 (often foll. by from) exempt (a person from a liability etc.).

Derivative

privileged adj.

Etymology

ME f. OF privilege f. L privilegium bill or law affecting an individual, f. privus private + lex legis law

THESAURUS

Privilege

accomplishment, advantage, allowance, appanage, ascendancy, authority, authorization, authorize, benefit, birthright, blank check, boon, carte blanche, certificate, certify, charter, concession, consent, copyright, deanship, diplomatic immunity, discharge, dispensation, empower, enable, enfranchise, entitle, excellence, exception, exemption, favor, franchise, freedom, give official sanction, give power, grant, greatness, immunity, incomparability, indulgence, inimitability, lead, leave, legalize, legislative immunity, legitimize, liberty, license, majority, one-upmanship, patent, permission, perquisite, precedence, predominance, predomination, preeminence, preponderance, prepotence, prepotency, prerogative, prestige, priority, ratify, release, right, right-of-way, sanction, seniority, skill, special favor, success, superiority, transcendence, transcendency, validate, virtuosity, warrant

ROGET THESAURUS

Privilege

Permission

VB permit, give permission, give power, let, allow, admit, suffer, bear with, tolerate, recognize, concede, accord, vouchsafe, favor, humor, gratify, indulge, stretch a point, wink at, connive at, shut one's eyes to, grant, empower, charter, enfranchise, privilege, confer a privilege, license, authorize, warrant, sanction, intrust, give carte blanche, give the reins to, give scope to, leave alone, leave it to one, leave the door open, open the door to, open the flood gates, give a loose to, let off, absolve, release, exonerate, dispense with, ask permission, beg permission, request permission, ask leave, beg leave, request leave.

Exemption

N exemption, absence, exception, immunity, privilege, release, exempt from, devoid of, without, unpossessed of, unblest with, immune from, not having, unpossessed, untenanted, without an owner, unobtained, unacquired, exemption, freedom, irresponsibility, immunity, liberty, license, release, exoneration, excuse, dispensation, absolution, franchise, renunciation, discharge, exculpation, exempt, free, immune, at liberty, scot-free, released, unbound, unencumbered, irresponsible, unaccountable, not answerable, excusable, bonis nocet quisquis pepercerit malis.

Dueness

N due, dueness, right, privilege, prerogative, prescription, title, claim, pretension, demand, birthright, immunity, license, liberty, franchise, vested interest, vested right, sanction, authority, warranty, charter, warrant, constitution, tenure, bond, claimant, appellant, plaintiff, having a right to, entitled to, claiming, deserving, meriting, worthy of, privileged, allowed, sanctioned, warranted, authorized, ordained, prescribed, constitutional, chartered, enfranchised, prescriptive, presumptive, absolute, indefeasible, unalienable, inalienable, imprescriptible, inviolable, unimpeachable, unchallenged, sacrosanct, due to, merited, deserved, condign, richly deserved, allowable, lawful, licit, legitimate, legal, legalized, square, unexceptionable, right, equitable, due, en r gle, fit, fitting, correct, proper, meet, befitting, becoming, seemly, decorous, creditable, up to the mark, right as a trivet, just the thing, quite the thing, selon les r gles, duly, ex officio, de jure, by right, by divine right, jure divino, Dei gratia, in the name of, civis Romanus sum, +a chaque saint sa chandelle.