privileged

1 of 2

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

privileged

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of privilege entry 2

Examples of privileged in a Sentence

Adjective

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

Adjective

Her campaign website says vouchers are a payout for the privileged rather than a way to help children in the classroom. — Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Sep. 2026

The city has argued that unrestricted access could expose privileged or sensitive information, while Cumming has said the restrictions undermine her office’s independence and ability to investigate city government. — Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 18 Sep. 2026

Amodei said Anthropic would retain the right to redact security-sensitive, legally privileged or proprietary information. — Jacek Krywko, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2026

Any role whose value depended primarily on privileged access to information is losing its advantage. — Juan Arroyo, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

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