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

That is a problem, because these efforts will only benefit a small, privileged sliver of society. — Moira O’Neil, Washington Post, 30 Oct. 2026

Most of those attempts failed, but Microsoft said the attackers did gain privileged access at some organizations, in multiple cases less than three hours after first targeting them. — Shae Lake, Fortune, 29 Oct. 2026

The bill included an exception for privileged communications during private confession and also required training for persons obligated to report abuse and neglect. — Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 27 Oct. 2026

The code runs in ring 0, a CPU’s most privileged execution level. — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 27 Oct. 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