prerogative

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman prerogative (noun), from Latin praerogātīva (“previous verdict; claim, privilege”), noun use of the feminine singular of praerogātīvus (“having first vote; privileged”).

noun

1. An exclusive hereditary or official right or privilege.
2. A right, or power that is exclusive to a monarch etc, especially such a power to make a decision or judgement.
   The military fame of a subject was considered as an insolent invasion of the Imperial prerogative; and it became the duty, as well as interest, of every Roman general, to guard the frontiers intrusted to his care, without aspiring to conquests which might have proved no less fatal to himself than to the vanquished barbarians. 1776, Edward Gibbon, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Vol I, ch 1-pt i
3. A right, especially when due to one's position or role.
   "Ah, that's your prerogative as an Intelligence officer, Jimmy. But it's been your prerogative for weeks, months, and nothing has happened, as I told you […]" 2002, Patrick Robinson, The Shark Mutiny, page 48
   If you want to wear your hair a certain way, that's your prerogative. You don't have to check with all your friends to make sure it's okay. 2004, Joel Osteen, Your best life now: 7 steps to living at your full potential, page 92
   If you choose another approach — that's your prerogative. But the problem is that parents often don't realize they're making the choice […] 2005, Tracy Hogg, Melinda Blau, Secrets of the Baby Whisperer: How to Calm, Connect, and Communicate, page 56
   I know what is important to Sadiq [Khan, London Mayor], and I know how to explain things to him in a way that maximises our chances of getting the right thing. If he chooses not to take my advice, that is absolutely his prerogative. But he gave me the job, and I intend to pay him back by delivering what he needs. December 2 2020, Andy Byford talks to Paul Clifton, “I enjoy really big challenges...”, in Rail, page 55
4. A property, attribute or ability which gives one a superiority or advantage over others; an inherent advantage or privilege; a talent.

adj

1. Having a hereditary or official right or privilege.
2. Characterized by lawless state actions, as in a prerogative state.
   Law-eroding prerogative developments cannot only be witnessed in hybrid regimes, but also in democratic states, which resort to reflections and practices of an ‘enemy criminal law’, and in the European Union’s recent crisis politics. 2020, Jan Christoph Suntrup, “Between prerogative power and legality – reading Ernst Fraenkel’s The Dual State as an analytical tool for present authoritarian rule”, in Jurisprudence, volume 11, number 3, →DOI, pages 335–359