Navy/Getty Images. In this handout photo provided by the U.S. Navy, Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Rick West and Secretary of the Navy the Honorable Ray Mabus congratulate Honorary Chief Hospital Corpsman Bill Cosby during his pinning ceremony at the U.S. Navy Memorial on Feb. 17, 2011 in Washington, DC. 1  0 Shares.
Privilege (social inequality) Privilege is a social theory that special rights or advantages are available only to a particular person or group of people. The term is commonly used in the context of social inequality, particularly in regard to age, disability, ethnic or racial category, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion and/or social class.
Word Origin and History for privilege Expand n. mid-12c. grant, commission (recorded earlier in Old English, but as a Latin word), from Old French privilege right, priority, privilege (12c.) and directly from Latin privilegium law applying to one person, bill of law in favor of or against an individual, later privilege, from privus individual (see private (adj.)) + lex (genitive legis) law (see legal (adj.)).