white privilege

noun

plural white privileges

: the set of social and economic advantages that white people have by virtue of their race (see race entry 1 sense 1a) in a culture characterized by racial inequality

… by discussing the reality of white privilege, we're not negating or invalidating other hardships that may come with each individual's circumstances. Rather, we intend to shed light on the reality that white people are granted rights (whether they're subtle or obvious), immunities, and opportunities by their skin color, regardless of whether they asked for that privilege or not.

—Mehak Anwar

And here, in white racism, was a shame of truly epic proportions—the shame of white supremacy that for centuries so squeezed the world with violence and oppression that white privilege was made a natural law.

—Shelby Steele

also : a single such advantage

White privileges are the relative advantages racism affords to people identified as white, whether white people recognize them or deny them. To be white is to be afforded one's individuality. Afforded the presumption of innocence. Afforded the assumption of intelligence. Afforded empathy when crying or raging. Afforded disproportionate amounts of policy-making power. Afforded opportunity from a white network. Afforded wealth-building homes and resource-rich schools. Afforded the ability to vote quickly and easily.

—Ibram X. Kendi

Examples of white privilege in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That's white privilege—and exactly who Trump protects. —Peter Aitken alia Shoaib, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 June 2025

There are of course various woke topics that either go over people’s heads or downright repel them, such as: Defund the police, land dedications, preferred pronouns, equity, white privilege, LatinX, reparations, gender ideology and support for Hamas. —Matt Fleming, Oc Register, 2 June 2025

There is a great deal of white privilege on display in this series, just by nature of Chloe and Adam’s world. —Hunter Ingram, Variety, 30 May 2025

The insecure teen immediately enjoys the perks of white privilege, but isn’t at all prepared for the downsides. —Peter Debruge, Variety, 13 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1818, in the meaning defined above