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REFERENCE

privilege

n. · v.
US //ˈpɹɪvɪɫədʒ// UK //pɹˈɪvɪlɪdʒ// priv·i·lege
  1. 1 a special advantage (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    a special right or advantage that only a particular person or group of people has.

    a particular benefit, advantage, or immunity enjoyed by a specific individual or class of people, often to the exclusion of others.

    Example

    In the past, only a small number of people had the privilege of voting in elections.

    Example

    The diplomatic corps enjoys certain legal privileges, such as immunity from local prosecution, to ensure they can perform their duties without interference.
  2. 2 a lucky opportunity (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    a rare or lucky chance to do something that makes you feel proud or happy.

    a rare or fortunate opportunity, often used as a polite expression of gratitude or honour.

    Example

    It was a great privilege to meet the president during her visit to our school.

    Example

    I have had the distinct privilege of working with some of the most brilliant scientific minds of our generation over the last decade.
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  1. 3 social status (n.)
    C1 Advanced Academic

    the power and advantages that come from being part of a wealthy or successful social group.

    the unearned social or economic benefit or advantage resulting from one's status within a specific societal hierarchy.

    Example

    The book explores how wealth and privilege can affect a person's view of the world.

    Example

    Sociologists often examine how invisible privilege shapes the career trajectories of individuals from dominant social backgrounds.
    • marginalisation
  2. 4 legal confidentiality (n.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Formal Law

    the legal right to keep certain conversations secret, such as those between a lawyer and their client.

    a legal doctrine protecting specific communications from being disclosed or used as evidence in judicial proceedings.

    Example

    The lawyer explained that their conversation was protected by attorney-client privilege.

    Example

    The court ruled that the documents were not covered by legal professional privilege and must be handed over to the prosecution.
  3. 5 computing access (n.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Computing

    the permission to do certain things on a computer system, like deleting files or changing settings.

    the specific authorisation granted to a user or process to perform restricted operations on a computer system.

    Example

    You need administrator privileges to install new software on this laptop.

    Example

    The security breach occurred because a low-level user account had been granted excessive system privileges by mistake.
  4. 6 to prioritise (v.)
    C1 Advanced Academic Formal

    to give one thing more importance or more rights than others.

    to grant a particular advantage to a person or group, or to treat one idea as more important than others.

    Example

    The current education system tends to privilege students who are good at taking tests.

    Example

    The traditional curriculum has been criticised for privileging Western historical perspectives over those of the Global South.
Origin

From Middle English privilege, from Anglo-Norman privilege and Old French privilege, from Latin prīvilēgium (“ordinance or law against or in favor of an individual”), from prīvus (“private”) + lēx, lēg- (“law”).

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