prerogative: Meaning and Definition of

pre•rog•a•tive

Pronunciation: (pri-rog'u-tiv, pu-rog'-), [key]
— n.
  1. an exclusive right, privilege, etc., exercised by virtue of rank, office, or the like: the prerogatives of a senator.
  2. 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.
  3. a power, immunity, or the like restricted to a sovereign government or its representative: The royal prerogative exempts the king from taxation.
  4. precedence.
—adj.
  1. having or exercising a prerogative.
  2. pertaining to, characteristic of, or existing by virtue of a prerogative.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
See also: