prerogative
Americannoun
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an exclusive right, privilege, etc., exercised by virtue of rank, office, or the like.
the prerogatives of a senator.
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a right, privilege, etc., limited to a specific person or to persons of a particular category.
It was the teacher's prerogative to stop the discussion.
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a power, immunity, or the like restricted to a sovereign government or its representative.
The royal prerogative exempts the king from taxation.
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Obsolete. precedence.
adjective
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having or exercising a prerogative.
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pertaining to, characteristic of, or existing by virtue of a prerogative.
noun
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an exclusive privilege or right exercised by a person or group of people holding a particular office or hereditary rank
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any privilege or right
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a power, privilege, or immunity restricted to a sovereign or sovereign government
adjective
Related Words
See privilege.
Etymology
Origin of prerogative
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin praerogātīvus (adjective) “voting first,” praerogātīva (noun use of feminine of adjective) “tribe or century with right to vote first.” See pre-, interrogative
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
If Compass wants to build its business around private listings, that is its prerogative.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026
“It’s always gonna be my prerogative as editor of this newsroom to say that I want more information, and to push to get more information,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 27, 2026
He added that he was increasing tariff rates "because the Korean Legislature hasn't enacted our Historic Trade Agreement, which is their prerogative."
From Barron's • Jan. 26, 2026
Legal advice concluded that the royal prerogative which commanded when the flag should be flown in Great Britain was "without legal authority in Northern Ireland".
From BBC • Dec. 30, 2025
She’s rubbing our noses in it, letting us know exactly who she is, making us watch her as she silently reads, flaunting her prerogative.
From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
