a confidential statement made to a lawyer, doctor, or pastor, or to one's husband or wife, privileged against disclosure in court if the privilege is claimed by the client, patient, penitent, or spouse.
Main Entry: con·fi·den·tial communication Pronunciation: "kän-f&-'den-ch&l- Function: noun : a communication between parties to a confidential relation (as husband and wife, attorney and client, or doctor and patient) such that the recipient of the communication has a privilege exempting him or her from disclosing it as a witness called also privileged communication
Main Entry: privileged communication Function: noun 1:CONFIDENTIAL COMMUNICATION 2 a: a defamatory communication that does not expose the party making it to the liability that would follow from it if not privileged called also absolutely privileged communicationb: a defamatory statement made by one person to another who is in a confidential relation (as that of a prospective employer) or who has an interest therein that may upon proof of bad faith or actual malice be deprived of its privileged character called also conditionally privileged communication
Main Entry: priv·i·leged communication Pronunciation: 'priv-&-lijd- Function: noun : a communication between parties to a confidentialrelation (as between physician and patient) such that the recipient cannot be legally compelled to disclose it as a witness
