Privilege
Advantage, blessing, or grievance.
How We Say It
priv·uh·lij
Where It Comes From
Latin privilegium — a law applying to one person. From privus (private, individual) + lex/legis (law). Originally meant a special legal advantage — a specific law written for one person. The modern sense of unearned social advantage came through academic sociology in the late 20th century.
How It's Been Used
Peggy McIntosh's 1989 essay 'White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack' introduced the term to mainstream discourse. It then became one of the most contested words in American culture — simultaneously a sociological tool and a political flashpoint. Those who reject it most often conflate structural advantage with personal accusation.