prerogative

prerogative
\ \ [14] Latin praerogāre meant ‘ask before others’ (it was a compound verb formed from the prefix prae- ‘before’ and rogāreask’, 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’.
\ \ Cf.ARROGANT, INTERROGATE

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • prérogative — [ prerɔgativ ] n. f. • v. 1235; lat. jurid. prærogativa « (centurie) qui vote la première » ♦ Avantage dû à une fonction, un état. ⇒ honneur, 2. pouvoir, privilège. Les prérogatives des parlementaires. « L antique prérogative féodale qui… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • prerogative — I noun advantage, authority, authorization, benefit, charter, claim, droit, due, exclusive privilege, exclusive right, franchise, freedom, grant, inalienable right, legal power, liberty, license, perquisite, power, preference, prior right,… …   Law dictionary

  • Prerogative — Pre*rog a*tive, n. [F. pr[ e]rogative, from L. praerogativa precedence in voting, preference, privilege, fr. praerogativus that is asked before others for his opinion, that votes before or first, fr. praerogare to ask before another; prae before… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • prerogative — (n.) special right or privilege granted to someone, c.1400 (in Anglo Latin from late 13c.), from O.Fr. prerogative (14c.), M.L. prerogativa special right, from L. praerogativa prerogative, previous choice or election, originally (with tribus,… …   Etymology dictionary

  • prerogative — Prerogative, et avantage, Praerogatiua. Pour l avoir avec toute puissance et prerogative telle que donner on pouvoit en tel cas, Demus imperium Caesari, eo iure quo qui optimo. Bud …   Thresor de la langue françoyse

  • prerogative — [prē räg′ə tiv, priräg′ə tiv] n. [ME prerogatif < MFr < L praerogativa, called upon to vote first < praerogare, to ask before < prae , before + rogare, to ask: see ROGATION] 1. a prior or exclusive right or privilege, esp. one… …   English World dictionary

  • prerogative — *right, privilege, perquisite, appanage, birthright Analogous words: immunity, *exemption: *claim, title: *freedom, license, liberty …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • prerogative — [n] right, privilege advantage, appanage, authority, birthright, choice, claim, droit, due, exemption, immunity, liberty, perquisite, sanction, title; concept 376 Ant. duty, obligation …   New thesaurus

  • prerogative — PREROGATIVE. s. f. Privilege, avantage sur un autre. Cette charge donne de belles prerogatives. cette Eglise a de grandes prerogatives, joüit de beaucoup de prerogatives …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • prerogative — ► NOUN 1) a right or privilege exclusive to a particular individual or class. 2) (in UK law) the right of the sovereign, theoretically unrestricted but usually delegated to government or the judiciary. ORIGIN Latin praerogativa the verdict of the …   English terms dictionary

  • prérogative — (pré ro ga ti v ) adj. 1°   À Rome, la centurie prérogative, ou, substantivement, la prérogative, la centurie à laquelle on demandait d abord son suffrage dans les comices. 2°   S. f. La primauté attribuée à cette centurie. 3°   Fig. Tout pouvoir …   Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

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