privileged

adjective

priv·​i·​leged ˈpriv-lijd 

ˈpri-və-

1

: having or enjoying one or more privileges

privileged classes

2

: not subject to the usual rules or penalties because of some special circumstance

especially : not subject to disclosure in a court of law

a privileged communication

Examples of privileged in a Sentence

He comes from a very privileged background.

The town attracts people who are wealthy and privileged.

The President's adviser has a privileged position of trust.

She had privileged access to the files.

Only the privileged few can become members of the club.

Recent Examples on the Web

The attackers were then able to expand their hold by attacking Ascension’s Active Directory and abusing its privileged access to push malware to thousands of other machines inside the network. —Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 10 Sep. 2025

Owning even a small stake in a team means joining a privileged circle of insiders. —Melissa Houston, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025

And honestly, because art is often tied in with commerce, commodification and fame, saying this can sound privileged, but art can be very necessary for people. —Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2025

Reiss affirmed that medical and mental health records are considered privileged material, the AP reported. —Sophia Compton, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing privileged

• be privileged

Rhymes for privileged

• underprivileged
• unprivileged

Kids Definition

privileged

adjective

priv·​i·​leged

ˈpriv(-ə)-lijd

: having more things and a better chance in life than most people

privileged classes of society

Legal Definition

privileged

adjective

priv·​i·​leged

: not subject to the usual rules or penalties because of some special circumstance

especially : not subject to disclosure especially in an adjudicative proceeding