privilege
privilege — noun
1. a benefit or advantage that is available only to a particular person, group, or
a benefit or advantage that is available only to a particular person, group, or social class, often because of their wealth, position, or status rather than through any effort or merit of their own.
Growing up in a wealthy family, Brian enjoyed privileges that many of his classmates could only dream of.
privilege as countable: 'enjoyed privileges'
The new policy aims to remove the special parking privileges that were once given only to senior staff.
collocation: 'parking privileges' — specific benefit
Ayesha realized that her educational privilege meant she had a responsibility to help others with fewer opportunities.
Members of the private club enjoy the privilege of using the golf course at any time.
pattern: 'privilege of + -ing / noun'
The royal family has had the privilege of living in that palace for over two hundred years.
- enjoy a privilege
- have the privilege of
- special privilege
- class privilege
- educational privilege
- advantage
broader term; an advantage can be earned, while a privilege is typically unearned or granted by status
- perk
informal; refers to an extra benefit tied to a job or membership, often smaller in scale
- entitlement
suggests a sense of deserving; can carry a negative implication of unreasonable expectation
- disadvantage
a condition or situation that makes success harder
- burden
something heavy or difficult to carry, the opposite of an extra benefit
Usage Note
Commonly appears in the pattern 'have / enjoy the privilege of + noun / -ing form'. The uncountable form often refers to an abstract quality of being advantaged, while the countable form refers to specific instances or types of advantages.
Common Mistakes
2. an experience or role that makes you feel deeply honored and grateful, typically
an experience or role that makes you feel deeply honored and grateful, typically because it is rare, meaningful, or involves someone you greatly respect — such as being invited to speak at a major event or meeting a person you admire.
It was a great privilege to meet the Nobel Prize winner and hear about her research.
pattern: 'It is/was a privilege to + verb'
Tuan considers it a privilege to serve as the team captain for his school.
Heloísa had the privilege of visiting the ancient temple before it opened to the public.
pattern: 'have the privilege of + -ing'
For Esteban, the greatest privilege of his career was teaching young musicians in his hometown.
Baraka called it a privilege to work alongside such dedicated doctors during the outbreak.
- a great privilege
- the privilege of meeting
- consider it a privilege
- call it a privilege
Usage Note
Almost always used in the singular with an indefinite article ('a privilege') or 'the privilege of'. Very common in polite expressions such as 'It has been a privilege working with you.' Distinguish from sense 1: this sense carries strong positive emotion (honor, gratitude) and refers to an opportunity, not an ongoing advantage.
Common Mistakes
3. the unearned advantages that people from wealthier, more powerful, or socially d
the unearned advantages that people from wealthier, more powerful, or socially dominant groups experience in a society simply because of who they are, rather than through anything they have done individually — often discussed in the context of race, class, or gender.
The class discussion focused on how privilege shapes people's access to healthcare and education.
uncountable: 'privilege' without article — systemic concept
Kemi wrote a powerful essay about the importance of recognizing one's own privilege in society.
Henrik's research examines how economic privilege creates unequal opportunities in the job market.
collocation: 'economic privilege' / 'white privilege' / 'male privilege'
Sumin argued that privilege is often invisible to the people who benefit from it most directly.
Many young activists are now using social media to start conversations about privilege and inequality.
- white privilege
- male privilege
- class privilege
- economic privilege
- check one's privilege
- unearned privilege
- invisible privilege
- advantage
broader; not limited to systemic or unearned contexts
- head start
informal; refers to an early advantage, often in competitive settings
- social capital
more technical; refers to networks and relationships that bring advantage
- disadvantage
systematic barriers that make success harder for certain groups
- marginalization
being pushed to the edges of society, the opposite of being centered by privilege
Usage Note
Frequently used in academic and social-justice contexts. Often appears in compound phrases such as 'white privilege', 'male privilege', 'class privilege'. This sense is uncountable — do not use 'a privilege' when referring to systemic, structural advantages.
Common Mistakes
4. the legal right of a person in a position of authority to say or do things that
the legal right of a person in a position of authority to say or do things that would normally not be allowed, or to keep certain information private, without being punished or forced to reveal it.
The senator claimed parliamentary privilege to speak freely during the debate without fear of being sued.
collocation: 'parliamentary privilege'
Noa learned that diplomatic privilege means foreign ambassadors cannot be arrested in the host country.
collocation: 'diplomatic privilege'
The judge ruled that solicitor-client privilege protected the lawyer from having to share those emails.
collocation: 'solicitor-client privilege' (also 'attorney-client privilege')
Kian explained that the reporter's privilege allows journalists to protect the identity of their sources.
The court recognized the doctor's privilege to keep patient records confidential under the law.
- parliamentary privilege
- executive privilege
- attorney-client privilege
- diplomatic privilege
- medical privilege
- claim privilege
- waive privilege
Usage Note
Primarily a legal term. Most often appears in fixed compound nouns: 'parliamentary privilege', 'executive privilege', 'attorney-client privilege' (also 'solicitor-client privilege' in British English), 'medical privilege', 'diplomatic privilege'. The specific type of privilege is almost always named explicitly.
Common Mistakes
privilege — verb
1. to give a special advantage or benefit to one person, group, or thing over other
to give a special advantage or benefit to one person, group, or thing over others in a way that is not fair or equal.
Sahil argued that the current education system tends to privilege students from wealthy families.
transitive: 'privilege + noun phrase'
The club's membership rules have been criticized for privileging longtime members over new applicants.
pattern: 'privilege + noun + over + noun' — comparison structure
Aoi believes that the scholarship program unfairly privileges certain schools in the region.
The tax system has been accused of privileging the wealthy at the cost of middle-income families.
Critics say the new policy privileges large corporations over small local businesses.
- privilege one group over another
- system privileges
- unfairly privilege
- tend to privilege
- discriminate against
the opposite direction of bias — putting a group at a disadvantage rather than an advantage
Grammar Patterns
privilege + noun phrase
Usage Note
Frequently used in academic writing and social criticism. Often carries a negative evaluation — the speaker or writer implies the favoritism is unfair. Often appears in passive constructions ('small businesses are privileged by the new rules'). Distinguish from verb sense 2, which focuses on priority rather than unfairness.
Common Mistakes
2. to treat something as more important than other things when making decisions, se
to treat something as more important than other things when making decisions, setting policies, or allocating resources.
The company's new policy will privilege safety over speed in all of its projects.
pattern: 'privilege X over Y' — expressing priority
Noa thinks the university should privilege teaching quality rather than research output.
When designing the software, the team decided to privilege user experience above all else.
Felix believes that schools should privilege creativity as much as academic achievement.
The government should privilege long-term environmental health over short-term economic gains.
- privilege safety over
- privilege quality over
- privilege efficiency
- continue to privilege
- prioritize
more common and less formal; the neutral word for setting priorities
- emphasize
focuses on highlighting importance rather than giving preferential treatment
- favor
can imply choice or preference, though often less formal
- deprioritize
to treat as less important, the direct opposite of privileging something
Grammar Patterns
privilege + noun phrase + over + noun phrase
privilege + noun phrase
Usage Note
Common in business, policy, and academic contexts. Unlike verb sense 1, this sense does not necessarily imply unfairness — it simply states a choice of priority. Can be used neutrally or positively ('a company that privileges customer satisfaction').
Common Mistakes
Word family
- privilegedadjectiveB2
- underprivilegedadjectiveC1
- unprivilegedadjectiveC1
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
While all four words describe something beneficial, 'privilege' emphasizes an unearned benefit tied to one's position, group membership, or status rather than to personal effort. An 'advantage' is any condition that makes success more likely and can be earned (e.g., 'a good education is an advantage'). A 'prerogative' is an exclusive right that comes with a particular role or office ('the president's prerogative to appoint judges'). A 'right' is something every person is entitled to by law or moral principle ('the right to vote'), whereas a 'privilege' can be taken away. 'Entitlement' carries a negative sense of expecting advantages without deserving them. For example: 'Having a driver's license is a privilege, not a right — it can be suspended.'
Common collocations
Etymology
The word 'privilege' entered English from Old French 'privilege', which came from Latin 'privilegium'. The Latin word was a combination of 'privus' (meaning 'private' or 'individual') and 'lex' (meaning 'law'). Originally, a privilegium was a law that applied to a specific person, giving them a special benefit or exemption that ordinary people did not have. Over time, the meaning expanded from a formal legal term to include any special advantage or benefit granted to a person or group.