privilege
- 1) noun, a benefit, immunity, etc, granted under certain conditions
- 2) noun, the advantages and immunities enjoyed by a small usually powerful group or class, esp to the disadvantage of others
- 3) noun, any of the fundamental rights guaranteed to the citizens of a country by its constitution
- 4) noun, a) the right of a lawyer to refuse to divulge information obtained in confidence from a client b) the right claimed by any of certain other functionaries to refuse to divulge information
- 5) noun, the rights and immunities enjoyed by members of most legislative bodies, such as freedom of speech, freedom from arrest in civil cases during a session, etc
- 6) noun, stock exchange a speculative contract permitting its purchaser to make optional purchases or sales of securities at a specified time over a limited period of time. See also call, put, spread, straddle
- 7) verb, to bestow a privilege or privileges upon
- 8) verb, to free or exempt
Etymology
C12: from Old French privilēge, from Latin prīvilēgium law relevant to rights of an individual, from prīvus an individual + lēx law
Collins English Electronic Dictionary - Digital Edition: 2008 © HarperCollins Publishers 2008
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Synonyms
freedom, liberty, right, benefit, due, advantage, claim, sanction, concession, franchise, entitle, prerogative, birthright