privilege
privilege — 名詞
1. a benefit or advantage that is available only to a particular person, group, or
特權
少數人因地位或財富享有的優勢
a benefit or advantage that is available only to a particular person, group, or social class, often because of their wealth, position, or status rather than through any effort or merit of their own.
Growing up in a wealthy family, Brian enjoyed privileges that many of his classmates could only dream of.
Brian 在富裕家庭長大，享有很多同班同學只能夢想的特權。
privilege as countable: 'enjoyed privileges'
The new policy aims to remove the special parking privileges that were once given only to senior staff.
這項新政策的目標是取消過去只給高階員工的特殊停車特權。
collocation: 'parking privileges' — specific benefit
Ayesha realized that her educational privilege meant she had a responsibility to help others with fewer opportunities.
Ayesha 意識到自己的教育特權意味著她有責任幫助機會較少的人。
Members of the private club enjoy the privilege of using the golf course at any time.
這個私人俱樂部的會員享有隨時使用高爾夫球場的特權。
The royal family has had the privilege of living in that palace for over two hundred years.
王室兩百多年來一直享有居住在那座宮殿的特權。
- advantage
broader term; an advantage can be earned, while a privilege is typically unearned or granted by status
- perk
informal; refers to an extra benefit tied to a job or membership, often smaller in scale
- entitlement
suggests a sense of deserving; can carry a negative implication of unreasonable expectation
- disadvantage
a condition or situation that makes success harder
- burden
something heavy or difficult to carry, the opposite of an extra benefit
用法筆記
Commonly appears in the pattern 'have / enjoy the privilege of + noun / -ing form'. The uncountable form often refers to an abstract quality of being advantaged, while the countable form refers to specific instances or types of advantages.
常見錯誤
2. an experience or role that makes you feel deeply honored and grateful, typically
殊榮
令人感到榮幸難得的機會
an experience or role that makes you feel deeply honored and grateful, typically because it is rare, meaningful, or involves someone you greatly respect — such as being invited to speak at a major event or meeting a person you admire.
It was a great privilege to meet the Nobel Prize winner and hear about her research.
能見到那位諾貝爾獎得主並聽她分享研究，真是莫大的殊榮。
pattern: 'It is/was a privilege to + verb'
Tuan considers it a privilege to serve as the team captain for his school.
Tuan 認為能擔任學校的隊長是一項殊榮。
Heloísa had the privilege of visiting the ancient temple before it opened to the public.
Heloísa 很榮幸能在古廟對外開放之前先參觀。
For Esteban, the greatest privilege of his career was teaching young musicians in his hometown.
對 Esteban 來說，職涯中最光榮的事就是在故鄉教導年輕音樂家。
Baraka called it a privilege to work alongside such dedicated doctors during the outbreak.
Baraka 說能在疫情期間與這群盡心盡力的醫生共事是他的榮幸。
用法筆記
Almost always used in the singular with an indefinite article ('a privilege') or 'the privilege of'. Very common in polite expressions such as 'It has been a privilege working with you.' Distinguish from sense 1: this sense carries strong positive emotion (honor, gratitude) and refers to an opportunity, not an ongoing advantage.
常見錯誤
3. the unearned advantages that people from wealthier, more powerful, or socially d
結構優勢
特定群體在社會中因身分擁有的系統性優勢
the unearned advantages that people from wealthier, more powerful, or socially dominant groups experience in a society simply because of who they are, rather than through anything they have done individually — often discussed in the context of race, class, or gender.
The class discussion focused on how privilege shapes people's access to healthcare and education.
課堂討論聚焦於結構優勢如何影響人們獲得醫療與教育的機會。
uncountable: 'privilege' without article — systemic concept
Kemi wrote a powerful essay about the importance of recognizing one's own privilege in society.
Kemi 寫了一篇有力的文章，談到認識自身在社會中的結構優勢的重要性。
Henrik's research examines how economic privilege creates unequal opportunities in the job market.
Henrik 的研究探討經濟上的結構優勢如何在就業市場中造成機會不均。
Sumin argued that privilege is often invisible to the people who benefit from it most directly.
Sumin 認為，結構優勢往往對受惠者而言是最看不見的。
Many young activists are now using social media to start conversations about privilege and inequality.
許多年輕社運人士正利用社群媒體開啟關於結構優勢與不平等的對話。
- advantage
broader; not limited to systemic or unearned contexts
- head start
informal; refers to an early advantage, often in competitive settings
- social capital
more technical; refers to networks and relationships that bring advantage
- disadvantage
systematic barriers that make success harder for certain groups
- marginalization
being pushed to the edges of society, the opposite of being centered by privilege
用法筆記
Frequently used in academic and social-justice contexts. Often appears in compound phrases such as 'white privilege', 'male privilege', 'class privilege'. This sense is uncountable — do not use 'a privilege' when referring to systemic, structural advantages.
常見錯誤
4. the legal right of a person in a position of authority to say or do things that
豁免權
職位上可豁免一般限制的特別權利
the legal right of a person in a position of authority to say or do things that would normally not be allowed, or to keep certain information private, without being punished or forced to reveal it.
The senator claimed parliamentary privilege to speak freely during the debate without fear of being sued.
那位參議員主張國會議員豁免權，以便在辯論中自由發言而不用擔心被控告。
collocation: 'parliamentary privilege'
Noa learned that diplomatic privilege means foreign ambassadors cannot be arrested in the host country.
Noa 學到外交豁免權意味著外國大使在駐在國不會被逮捕。
collocation: 'diplomatic privilege'
The judge ruled that solicitor-client privilege protected the lawyer from having to share those emails.
法官裁定律師與當事人保密特權保護了那位律師，無須交出那些電子郵件。
Kian explained that the reporter's privilege allows journalists to protect the identity of their sources.
Kian 解釋說，新聞工作者的保密特權允許記者保護消息來源的身分。
The court recognized the doctor's privilege to keep patient records confidential under the law.
法院承認醫生依法有權將病歷資料保密。
用法筆記
Primarily a legal term. Most often appears in fixed compound nouns: 'parliamentary privilege', 'executive privilege', 'attorney-client privilege' (also 'solicitor-client privilege' in British English), 'medical privilege', 'diplomatic privilege'. The specific type of privilege is almost always named explicitly.
常見錯誤
privilege — 動詞
1. to give a special advantage or benefit to one person, group, or thing over other
特權對待
給予特定個人或群體不公平的好處
to give a special advantage or benefit to one person, group, or thing over others in a way that is not fair or equal.
Sahil argued that the current education system tends to privilege students from wealthy families.
Sahil 認為當前的教育制度傾向於特權對待來自富裕家庭的學生。
transitive: 'privilege + noun phrase'
The club's membership rules have been criticized for privileging longtime members over new applicants.
這個俱樂部的入會規則被批評為特權對待長期會員，而非新申請者。
pattern: 'privilege + noun + over + noun' — comparison structure
Aoi believes that the scholarship program unfairly privileges certain schools in the region.
Aoi 認為這項獎學金計畫不公平地特權對待該地區的某些學校。
The tax system has been accused of privileging the wealthy at the cost of middle-income families.
稅制被指控以犧牲中等收入家庭為代價，特權對待富人。
Critics say the new policy privileges large corporations over small local businesses.
批評者認為這項新政策特權對待大企業而非本地小商家。
- discriminate against
the opposite direction of bias — putting a group at a disadvantage rather than an advantage
文法句型
privilege + noun phrase
用法筆記
Frequently used in academic writing and social criticism. Often carries a negative evaluation — the speaker or writer implies the favoritism is unfair. Often appears in passive constructions ('small businesses are privileged by the new rules'). Distinguish from verb sense 2, which focuses on priority rather than unfairness.
常見錯誤
2. to treat something as more important than other things when making decisions, se
優先考量
給予某事物比其他事物更高的優先地位
to treat something as more important than other things when making decisions, setting policies, or allocating resources.
The company's new policy will privilege safety over speed in all of its projects.
公司的新政策將在所有專案中優先考量安全，而非速度。
pattern: 'privilege X over Y' — expressing priority
Noa thinks the university should privilege teaching quality rather than research output.
Noa 認為大學應該優先考量教學品質，而非研究成果。
When designing the software, the team decided to privilege user experience above all else.
在設計軟體時，團隊決定優先考量使用者體驗。
Felix believes that schools should privilege creativity as much as academic achievement.
Felix 認為學校應該像重視學業成績一樣優先考量創造力。
The government should privilege long-term environmental health over short-term economic gains.
政府應該優先考量長遠的環境健康，而非短期經濟利益。
- prioritize
more common and less formal; the neutral word for setting priorities
- emphasize
focuses on highlighting importance rather than giving preferential treatment
- favor
can imply choice or preference, though often less formal
- deprioritize
to treat as less important, the direct opposite of privileging something
文法句型
privilege + noun phrase + over + noun phrase
privilege + noun phrase
用法筆記
Common in business, policy, and academic contexts. Unlike verb sense 1, this sense does not necessarily imply unfairness — it simply states a choice of priority. Can be used neutrally or positively ('a company that privileges customer satisfaction').