privileged

Privileged is an adjective describing someone, a group, or something that has been granted certain rights, advantages, or immunities that others do not have. It can apply to people, resources, or information that are protected or set apart by law, custom, or authority. The term often appears in discussions of social hierarchy and access to opportunities or protections.

In social and cultural contexts, privileged commonly refers to advantages that come from factors such as wealth, race, gender, class, or education. The term can be descriptive or evaluative, depending on how it is used, and is central to conversations about inequality, bias, and social responsibility. Phrases like “privileged position” or “privileged perspectives” highlight how differential access shapes experiences and outcomes.

In legal and professional settings, privileged denotes protections that restrict disclosure or compel confidentiality. Privileged communications, for example, are exempt from compelled testimony in many jurisdictions, including attorney-client and doctor-patient discussions. Privilege can also refer to exemptions or immunities granted by statute or regulation, such as privilege against self-incrimination or certain government privileges.

In computing, privileged describes elevated access or authority. A privileged user or process has the ability to access restricted resources and perform sensitive operations. Systems often separate privileged (kernel) mode from unprivileged (user) mode to safeguard data integrity and security. Privileged instructions are CPU commands that can only be executed in a privileged state.

Related terms include privilege and unprivileged. The concept spans social, legal, and technical domains, where the presence or absence of privileges shapes power, security, and access.