privilege

(priv′ĭ-lĕj )

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[L. privilegium, law affecting a single person, prerogative]

1. A right granted to a person in recognition of some special status, e.g., a right to practice one's profession in a health care facility.
2. An immunity from commonly imposed standards or laws.
3. In sociology, advantages or powers that one group of individuals holds relative to others because of, for example, their economic standing, race, religion, sexual orientation, or specialized skills.

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