private
adjective
pri·vate
| \ ˈprī-vət
\
\
Definition of private
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a
: intended for or restricted to the use of a particular person, group, or class
a private park
b
: belonging to or concerning an individual person, company, or interest
a private house
c(1)
: restricted to the individual or arising independently of others
private opinion
(2)
: carried on by the individual independently of the usual institutions
a doctor in private practice
also
: being educated by independent study or a tutor or in a private school
private students
d
: not general in effect
a private statute
e
: of, relating to, or receiving hospital service in which the patient has more privileges than a semiprivate or ward patient
2a(1)
: not holding public office or employment
a private citizen
(2)
: not related to one's official position : personal
private correspondence
b
: being a private
3a
: withdrawn from company or observation
a private retreat
b
: not known or intended to be known publicly : secret
c
: preferring to keep personal affairs to oneself : valuing privacy highly
d
: unsuitable for public use or display
4
: not having shares that can be freely traded on the open market
a private company
private
nounDefinition of private (Entry 2 of 2)
1
archaic
: one not in public office
4a
: a person of low rank in any of various organizations (such as a police or fire department)
b
: an enlisted person of the lowest rank in the marine corps or of one of the two lowest ranks in the army
in private
: not openly or in public
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Synonyms & Antonyms for private
Synonyms: Adjective
behind-the-scenes, confidential, esoteric, hushed, hush-hush, inside, intimate, nonpublic, privy, secret
Antonyms: Adjective
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Examples of private in a Sentence
Adjective
It was the first time many had seen works from the artist's private collection. At work he was always very serious, but in his private life, he was actually very funny and relaxed. Please keep all my personal information private. He's a very private person.
Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
Zorro Ranch, which includes a firehouse, log cabin, guest house, pool, airstrip, antique railroad car and train tracks, is part private, part public land. — Mola Lenghi, CBS News, "What's next for Epstein's Zorro Ranch, where accusers say they were raped and trafficked," 31 Aug. 2019 The class features 47 high school juniors from private, home school and public schools around Medina County. — Sam Boyer, cleveland.com, "Everyone can stay busy with all the events coming up: Whit & Whimsey," 30 Aug. 2019 The tapes have never been released, because the officers who were recorded sued to keep them private, and the case remains tied up in court. — New York Times, "Pete Buttigieg Was Rising. Then Came South Bend’s Policing Crisis.," 30 Aug. 2019 And the turn of events has hardened others’ skepticism toward public-private partnerships, a tool that Hancock plans to use to finish the National Western Center project. — Jon Murray, The Denver Post, "Denver airport renovation reboot will face council scrutiny," 30 Aug. 2019 Purdue and the Sacklers have long relied on a coterie of attorneys and accountants, as well as the family’s closely held ownership of the company, to keep their business and personal dealings private. — Washington Post, "Where did the Sacklers move cash from their opioid maker?," 30 Aug. 2019 Especially for private, nonunionized workers, the U.S. largely allows companies and workers to figure out the terms and conditions of work on their own. — Jeffrey Hirsch, The Conversation, "Worker-protection laws aren’t ready for an automated future," 28 Aug. 2019 This is one time the tour might want to keep the vote private. — Doug Ferguson, BostonGlobe.com, "Player of the Year: Koepka or McIlroy?," 28 Aug. 2019 Each public-private partnership is unique; some developers are required to limit rents to a certain percentage of the low-income tenants’ incomes, while others are not. — Madison Iszler, ExpressNews.com, "Mixed-income apartment complex on near East Side could be sold," 28 Aug. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Some of his protagonists are officers or privates in the army; others contribute their scientific or managerial skills to wartime industry, or work at hospitals or orphanages; many are forced to flee east, further from the front lines. — Sophie Pinkham, The New Republic, "Vasily Grossman’s Lost Epic," 27 Aug. 2019 The couple, though, kept their personal romance private. — Michael Cavna, Washington Post, "She was the voice of Minnie Mouse. He was the voice of Mickey Mouse. That’s how their romance began.," 30 July 2019 But what about the design flaw in some boxer shorts that could make your privates less than private? — Mike Snider, USA TODAY, "Boxers with pockets? Men's underwear gets more functional features," 19 July 2019 That was before the privates and charters began to rule 3A in 2015. — Richard Obert, azcentral, "Games to see during 2019 Arizona high school football season," 10 July 2019 One of the biggest advocates for keeping the coronation private was Sir Winston Churchill. — Kayla Keegan, Good Housekeeping, "The True Story Behind Queen Elizabeth II's Groundbreaking Coronation," 10 June 2019 Get our daily newsletter Large banks’ private-banking arms have been lending against art since the 1970s. — The Economist, "Borrowing against art is growing at a stunning rate," 4 July 2019 Detectives said the girl reported Frklic had her touch his privates as well. — Cameron Knight, Cincinnati.com, "Police: Man inappropriately touched 5-year-old girl," 21 June 2019 He was joined on day nine by Sherif, who was kicked off for no less a crime than publicly kicking Molly-Mae in the privates. — 1843, "Love Island’s literary forebears, from Eden to The Tempest," 19 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'private.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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