privilege
priv·i·lege/ˈpɹɪv.ɪ.lɪd͡ʒ/noun, verb
privilege is spelled P-R-I-V-I-L-E-G-E, 3 syllables: priv·i·lege. The wrong spelling people search most is privelege: about 480 Bing searches a month in the United States (September 2025 to August 2026), about 1 in 17 of all searches for the word. Privilege is a noun meaning “An exemption from certain laws granted by the Pope”. The plural of privilege is privileges.
How many letters and syllables are in privilege?
| Letters | 9: P-R-I-V-I-L-E-G-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: priv·i·lege |
| In writing | 16 times per million words; the 5,121st most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | 6; the most searched, privelege, about 480 Bing searches a month (all of them) |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); Bing searches in the United States: the average month from September 2025 to August 2026 (Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, read September 30, 2026).
How do you spell privilege?
Privilege is spelled P-R-I-V-I-L-E-G-E. 6 wrong spellings are searched or written often enough to measure; together they are about 2 in 10 of the searches for privilege in either form.
Bing searches in the United States: the average month from September 2025 to August 2026 (Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, read September 30, 2026). Wrong spellings are taken from Wiktionary entries tagged "misspelling" and its obsolete or nonstandard forms, Wikipedia's Lists of common misspellings and the codespell dictionary, then measured. The proofreader's marks show the change that corrects each one.
How common is privilege?
Privilege appears 16 times per million words in written English, the 5,121st most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce privilege?
- UK /ˈpɹɪv.(ɪ.)lɪd͡ʒ/
- US /ˈpɹɪv.ɪ.lɪd͡ʒ/
- US /ˈpɹɪv.ə.lɪd͡ʒ/
Privilege has 3 syllables, split priv·i·lege in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-privilege.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of privilege
- privileges plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- priviledg
- priviledge
- privileging participle, present
- privileged participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does privilege mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
An exemption from certain laws granted by the Pope.
- 2
A particular benefit, advantage, or favor; a right or immunity enjoyed by some but not others; a prerogative, preferential treatment.
All first-year professors here must teach four courses a term, yet you're only teaching one! What entitled you to such a privilege?
- 3
An especially rare or fortunate opportunity; the good fortune (to do something).
- 4
The fact of being privileged; the status or existence of (now especially social or economic) benefit or advantage within a given society.
South Africa's 'miracle transition' has not put an end to white privilege.
- 5
A right or immunity enjoyed by a legislative body or its members.
Dr Grigori Loutchansky is – according to a congressman speaking under congressional privilege – a "purported Russian mob figure".
- 6
USarchaicA stock market option.
- 7
A common law doctrine that protects certain communications from being used as evidence in court.
Your honor, my client is not required to answer that; her response is protected by attorney-client privilege.
- 8
An ability to perform an action on the system that can be selectively granted or denied to users.
verb
- 1
archaicTo grant some particular right or exemption to; to invest with a peculiar right or immunity; to authorize
to privilege representatives from arrest
- 2
archaicTo bring or put into a condition of privilege or exemption from evil or danger; to exempt; to deliver.
- 3
To prioritize.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate privilege?
Wiktionary records one abbreviation of privilege: priv.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Privilege in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | privilège , privilégier |
| German | privilegieren , Privileg, Vergünstigung |
| Portuguese | privilegiar , privilégio |
| Spanish | privilegiar , privilegio |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does privilege come from?
From Middle English privilege, from Anglo-Norman privilege and Old French privilege, from Latin prīvilēgium (“ordinance or law against or in favor of an individual”), from prīvus (“private”) + lēx, lēg- (“law”). Displaced native Old English frēols (“privilege, immunity”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).