What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Privilege vs Complimentary - What's the difference?

privilege | complimentary |

As a noun privilege

is .

As an adjective complimentary is

in the nature of a compliment.

privilege

English

(Webster 1913) (wikipedia privilege)

Alternative forms

* priviledg (obsolete) * priviledge (obsolete)

Noun

(en noun)
  • A peculiar benefit, advantage, or favor; a right or immunity not enjoyed by others or by all; special enjoyment of a good, or exemption from an evil or burden; a prerogative; advantage; franchise; preferential treatment.
    • All first-year professors here must teach four courses a term, yet you're only teaching one! What entitled you to such a privilege ?
  • The status or existence of such benefit or advantage.
    • In order to advance racial equality in the United States, what we've got to do is reduce white privilege .
  • (legal) A common law doctrine that protects certain communications from being used as evidence in court.
    • ''Your honor, my client is not required to answer that; her response is protected by attorney-client privilege .
  • (finance) A call, put, spread, or other option.
  • (computing) An ability to perform an action on the system that can be selectively granted or denied to users; permission.

    • Synonyms

    * prerogative, immunity, freelage, franchise, right, claim, liberty, advantage, foredeal

    Derived terms

    * cisprivilege

    Verb

    (privileg)
  • (archaic) To grant some particular right or exemption to; to invest with a peculiar right or immunity; to authorize; as, to privilege representatives from arrest.
  • (archaic) To bring or put into a condition of privilege or exemption from evil or danger; to exempt; to deliver.

    • Related terms

    * allege ----

    complimentary

    English

    (wikipedia complimentary)

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • In the nature of a compliment.
  • * , The Letters of Mark Twain, Vol. 3 (published 2004) p. 56.
    • But yesterday evening late, when Lewis arrived from down town he found his supper spread, and some presents of books there, with very complimentary' writings on the fly-leaves, and certain very ' complimentary letters, and more or less greenbacks of dignified denomination pinned to those letters and fly-leaves...
  • Free; provided at no charge.
  • * Vivien Lougheed, Belize Pocket Adventures (2005), p. 65.
    • In the evenings, Ward and PJ offer guests a complimentary drink. This gesture seems to reinforce the hosts' desire to make everyone feel welcome.
  • With respect to the closing of a letter, formal and professional.
  • * Richard H. Beatty, The Perfect Cover Letter (2003).
    • The complimentary closing is the word grouping used to bring the message or text to a close.

    Usage notes

    * Complimentary and complementary are frequently confused and misused in place of one another.

    Antonyms

    * uncomplimentary

    Derived terms

    * complimentarily * complimentariness