prerogative
pronunciation
How to pronounce prerogative in British English:
UK [prɪˈrɒgətɪv]
How to pronounce prerogative in American English:
US [prɪˈrɑgətɪv]
-
- Noun:
- a right reserved exclusively by a particular person or group (especially a hereditary or official right)
Word Origin
- prerogative
- prerogative: [14] Latin praerogāre meant ‘ask before others’ (it was a compound verb formed from the prefix prae- ‘before’ and rogāre ‘ask’, source also of English interrogate [15]). The term praerogātīva (based on its past participle) was applied to those electoral groups who were ‘invited before others’ to vote, or in other words had the privilege of voting first, in elections for state officials. Hence the word (acquired by English via Old French prerogative) came to mean in general ‘right to precedence, privilege’.=> arrogant, interrogate
- prerogative (n.)
- "special right or privilege granted to someone," late 14c. (in Anglo-Latin from late 13c.), from Old French prerogative (14c.), Medieval Latin prerogativa "special right," from Latin praerogativa "prerogative, previous choice or election," originally (with tribus, centuria) "unit of 100 voters who by lot voted first in the Roman comita," noun use of fem. of praerogativus (adj.) "chosen to vote first," from praerogere "ask before others," from prae- "before" (see pre-) + rogare "to ask" (see rogation).
Example
- 1. You 're his daughter . That 's your prerogative .
- 2. That 's your prerogative .