Word of the Day : December 30, 2020

prerogative \prih-RAH-guh-tiv\ noun

Definition

1 a : an exclusive or special right, power, or privilege: such as

(1) : one belonging to an office or an official body

(2) : one belonging to a person, group, or class of individuals

(3) : one possessed by a nation as an attribute of sovereignty

b : the discretionary power inhering in the British Crown

2 : a distinctive excellence

Did You Know?

In ancient Rome, voting at legal assemblies was done by group, with the majority in a group determining its vote. The group chosen to vote first on an issue was called the praerogativa (that term traces to a verb meaning "to ask for an opinion before another"). Because the first vote was considered to be of great importance, Latin speakers also used the noun praerogativa to mean "preference" and later "privilege." As praerogativa passed through Anglo-French and Middle English, its spelling shifted to create the noun we know today.

Aired December 30, 2020

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