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A privilege—etymologically "private law" or law relating to a specific individual—is a special entitlement
Entitlement

Entitlement is a guarantee of access to benefits because of rights, or by agreement through law. It also refers, in a more casual sense to someone's belief that one is deserving of some particular reward or benefit....
 or immunity
Immunity (legal)

In law, immunity is the status of a person or body that places them beyond the law and makes them free from law obligations, such as liability for torts or damages or prosecution under criminal law....
 granted by a government or other authority 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 human beings from birth.






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A privilege—etymologically "private law" or law relating to a specific individual—is a special entitlement
Entitlement

Entitlement is a guarantee of access to benefits because of rights, or by agreement through law. It also refers, in a more casual sense to someone's belief that one is deserving of some particular reward or benefit....
 or immunity
Immunity (legal)

In law, immunity is the status of a person or body that places them beyond the law and makes them free from law obligations, such as liability for torts or damages or prosecution under criminal law....
 granted by a government or other authority 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 human beings from birth. Miscellaneous privileges, e.g. the old common law privilege to title deeds, may still exist, though of little relevance today.

In a broader sense, 'privilege' can refer to special powers or 'de facto' immunities held as a consequence of political power
Political power

Political power is a type of power held by a political organization in a society which allows administration of some or all of public resources, including labour, and wealth....
 or wealth
Wealth

Wealth is an abundance of valuable material possessions or resources. The word is derived from the old English wela, which is from an Indo-European word stem....
. Privilege of this sort may be transmitted by birth into a privileged class or achieved through individual actions. Compare elite
Elite

Elite is taken originally from the Latin, eligere, "to elect". In sociology as in general usage, the elite is a relatively small dominant Group within a large society, which enjoys a privileged status envied by individuals of lower social status....
.

One of the objectives of the French Revolution
French Revolution

The French Revolution was a period of political and social upheaval and radical change in the history of France, during which the French governmental structure, previously an absolute monarchy with feudalism for the aristocracy and Roman Catholic Church clergy, underwent radical change to forms based on Age of Enlightenment principles of cit...
 was the abolition
Abolition

Abolition is the act of formally repealing an existing legal practice, either by making it illegal, or simply no longer allowing it to exist in any form....
 of privilege. This meant the removal of separate laws for different social class
Social class

Social class refers to the hierarchy distinctions between individuals or groups in societies or cultures. Usually most societies have some notion of social class , but concretely defined social classes are not found in every known type of human societies....
es (nobility
Nobility

Nobility is a government-privileged title which may be either hereditary or for a lifetime. Titles of nobility exist today in many countries although it is usually associated with present or former monarchies....
, clergy
Clergy

Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. The term comes from the Greek language ?????? - kleros, "a lot", "that which is assigned by lot" or metaphorically, "heritage"....
 and ordinary people), instead subjecting everyone to the same common law. Privileges were abolished by the National Constituent Assembly
National Constituent Assembly

The National Constituent Assembly was formed from the National Assembly on 9 July 1789, during the first stages of the French Revolution. It dissolved on 30 September 1791 and was succeeded by the French Legislative Assembly....
 on August 4, 1789.

See also

  • Privilege in canon law
    Privilege (canon law)

    Privilege in the Canon law of the Roman Catholic Church is the legal concept whereby someone is exempt from the ordinary operation of the law over time for some specific purpose....
  • Executive privilege
    Executive privilege

    In the Federal government of the United States, executive privilege is the power claimed by the President of the United States and other members of the executive to resist certain subpoenas and other interventions by the legislature and judiciaryes of government....
  • White privilege
  • Male privilege
    Male privilege

    Male privilege is a term used to describe the idea that there are unearned rights and statuses granted to the male population in society on the basis of their biology sex that the female population is usually denied....
  • Heterosexual privilege
  • Privileged communication