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

But Jack, the most sensible and straitlaced of the lot, may finally be making his escape, thanks to the normalizing influence of his merely quite privileged girlfriend Martha (Elle Fanning). —Guy Lodge, Variety, 14 Feb. 2026

Their $80 million mega-mansion on North Bay Road in Miami Beach has nine bedrooms and nine bathrooms, and those privileged views of Biscayne Bay. —Sarah Moreno february 11, Miami Herald, 11 Feb. 2026

Villainous weirdos like Bronze Age Pervert, Curtis Yarvin, or Jack Donovan who populate the ranks of far-right intellectuals are obsessed with their own fabulism about antiquity, reminding one of the murderous gaggle of privileged college kids in Donna Tart’s 1993 campus novel The Secret History. —Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026

Let’s bury the kind of politics that benefit only the privileged, and instead work for everyone in Baltimore County. —Mansoor Shams, Baltimore Sun, 8 Feb. 2026

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