Privilege

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A privilege—etymologically "private law" or law relating to a specific individual—is a special right or immunity granted by a government to a restricted group, either by birth or on a conditional basis. A privilege can be revoked in some cases. In modern democracies, a 'privilege' is conditional and granted only after birth. By contrast, a 'right' is an inherent, irrevocable entitlement held by all citizens or all humanity from birth.

In a broader sense, 'privilege' can refer to special powers or 'de facto' immunities held as a consequence of political power or wealth. Privilege of this sort may be transmitted by birth into a privileged class or achieved through individual actions. Compare elite.

One of the objectives of the French Revolution was the abolition of privilege. This meant the removal of separate laws for different social classes (nobility, clergy and ordinary people), instead subjecting everyone to the same common law. Privileges were abolished by the National Constituent Assembly on August 4, 1789.

[edit] See also

• Privilege in canon law
• Attorney-client privilege
• Accountant-client privilege
• Executive privilege
• Male privilege (feminism)
• Physician-patient privilege
• Priest-penitent privilege
• Spousal privilege
• Privilege (computer science)
• State Secrets Privilege