Word of the Day

: December 22, 2007

prerogative

noun prih-RAH-guh-tiv

What It Means

1 a : an exclusive or special right, power, or privilege: as

b : one belonging to an office or an official body

c : one belonging to a person, group, or class of individuals

d : one possessed by a nation as an attribute of sovereignty

2 : a distinctive excellence

prerogative in Context

How Amy spends her money is none of our business, and if she wants to use all her savings to buy that sports car, it's her prerogative.

Did You Know?

In ancient Rome, voting at legal assemblies was done by group, with the majority in a group determining its vote. The group chosen to vote first on an issue was called the "praerogativa" (that term traces to a verb meaning "to ask for an opinion before another"). Because the first vote was considered to be of great importance, Latin speakers also used the noun "praerogativa" to mean "preference" and later "privilege." As "praerogativa" passed through Anglo-French and Middle English, its spelling shifted to create the noun we know today.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.