prerogative

Intermediatezipf 3.08

Pronunciation

/prɪˈrɒɡətɪv/(prih-ROG-uh-tiv)

Part of speech

nounformal

Chinese

特权；专有权利

Definition

A right or privilege exclusive to a particular individual or class.

Word family

  • (no common derivatives)

Collocations

  • royal prerogative
  • executive prerogative
  • personal prerogative
  • exercise one's prerogative

Examples

  1. 1.It's the manager's prerogative to decide who starts each game. (exclusive right)
  2. 2.Choosing how to spend your free time is your own prerogative. (personal right)

Synonyms

  • privilege/ˈprɪvɪlɪdʒ/— advantage, broader
  • right/raɪt/— neutral, general
  • entitlement/ɪnˈtaɪtlmənt/— legal or perceived right

Etymology

from Latin "praerogativa" = asked first — prae- (before) + rogare (to ask) — having the right to be asked first