prerogative
- 01 C1 Advanced
a special right that you have because of your position, allowing you to make a decision or do something.
a right or privilege exclusive to a particular individual or class, often used to justify a specific choice or action.
Simple“It is the manager's prerogative to decide which employees will work on the new project.”
In context“While the board provides recommendations, it remains the CEO's prerogative to make the final determination regarding the merger.”
UsageOften used in the phrase 'it is someone's prerogative to...'
Antonyms - 02 C2 Proficiency
the official power of a king, queen, or government to make decisions without needing permission from others.
an exclusive right or power vested in a monarch or government official, particularly regarding discretionary actions.
Simple“The king used his royal prerogative to pardon the prisoner before the trial ended.”
In context“The constitutional scholar argued that the executive prerogative should be limited to prevent the abuse of emergency powers.”
UsageCommonly appears in the term 'royal prerogative' or 'executive prerogative'.
“They’ll return to that, says Smith, “but it’s my prerogative to choose when I want to use that tool”.”
“The title of the novel carries the colonial prerogative to declare ownership over land and resources: “speak name own, mine”.”
From Anglo-Norman prerogative (noun), from Latin praerogātīva (“previous verdict; claim, privilege”), noun use of the feminine singular of praerogātīvus (“having first vote; privileged”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.