# privilege

/ˈpɹɪvɪɫədʒ/ (US) · /pɹˈɪvɪlɪdʒ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/privilege
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. a special advantage

noun · CEFR B2

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

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

- In the past, only a small number of people had the privilege of voting in elections.
- The diplomatic corps enjoys certain legal privileges, such as immunity from local prosecution, to ensure they can perform their duties without interference.

### 2. a lucky opportunity

noun · CEFR B2

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

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

- It was a great privilege to meet the president during her visit to our school.
- I have had the distinct privilege of working with some of the most brilliant scientific minds of our generation over the last decade.

### 3. social status

noun · CEFR C1 · Academic

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

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

- The book explores how wealth and privilege can affect a person's view of the world.
- Sociologists often examine how invisible privilege shapes the career trajectories of individuals from dominant social backgrounds.

### 4. legal confidentiality

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical · Formal

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

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

- The lawyer explained that their conversation was protected by attorney-client privilege.
- The court ruled that the documents were not covered by legal professional privilege and must be handed over to the prosecution.

### 5. computing access

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

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

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

- You need administrator privileges to install new software on this laptop.
- The security breach occurred because a low-level user account had been granted excessive system privileges by mistake.

### 6. to prioritise

verb · CEFR C1 · Academic · Formal

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

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

- The current education system tends to privilege students who are good at taking tests.
- The traditional curriculum has been criticised for privileging Western historical perspectives over those of the Global South.

## Examples

- Education is a right, not a privilege.
- The CEO enjoyed the privilege of using the company jet for personal weekend trips.
- In many legal systems, attorney-client privilege ensures that communications between a lawyer and their client remain confidential and cannot be used as evidence in court.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.