executive privilege
noun
: exemption from legally enforced disclosure of communications within the executive branch of government when such disclosure would adversely affect the functions and decision-making processes of the executive branch
Examples of executive privilege in a Sentence
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Bannon declined to comply with the demand, arguing that a lawyer for the president had indicated that Mr. Trump had invoked executive privilege over the material sought by lawmakers, which prevented Bannon from turning it over.
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Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026
Bannon believed Trump could protect him from testifying by invoking executive privilege, which allows presidents to keep some executive branch discussions confidential.
—Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 6 Apr. 2026
The president successfully petitioned the court to appoint a special master to review the documents the government seized from Mar-a-Lago in order to review and filter out any materials covered by executive privilege.
—Alison Durkee, Forbes.com, 14 Jan. 2026
And executive privilege, even if invoked, would likely not apply to electoral conspiracies.
—Ian Parker, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
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Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026
Bannon believed Trump could protect him from testifying by invoking executive privilege, which allows presidents to keep some executive branch discussions confidential.
—Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 6 Apr. 2026
The president successfully petitioned the court to appoint a special master to review the documents the government seized from Mar-a-Lago in order to review and filter out any materials covered by executive privilege.
—Alison Durkee, Forbes.com, 14 Jan. 2026
And executive privilege, even if invoked, would likely not apply to electoral conspiracies.
—Ian Parker, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for executive privilege
Cite this Entry
“Executive privilege.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/executive%20privilege. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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