Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 16, 2026 is:
prerogative • \prih-RAH-guh-tiv\ • noun
Prerogative means "right or privilege," and especially refers to a special right or privilege that some people have.
// If you'd rather sell the tickets than use them, that's your prerogative.
// Education was once only the prerogative of the wealthy.
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Examples:
"Successfully arguing an insanity defense, the prerogative of any defendant, is a difficult hurdle." — Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Jan. 2026
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In ancient...