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: withdrawn from company or observation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
That December, after the election, Fortune assembled roughly 100 big-company CEOs in Rome, at the encouragement of Pope Francis, and spent a day in working-group deliberations on how the private sector could address global social problems. — Fortune, "America’s CEOs Seek a New Purpose for the Corporation," 19 Aug. 2019 The private sector seems to be concerned about particularly the trade war with China, that there are some rough waters ahead, maybe a recession, that those odds have risen. — NBC News, "Aug. 18, 2019 - Larry Kudlow, Beto O'Rourke and Mark Sanford," 18 Aug. 2019 He will be remembered in a private ceremony by family members. — sun-sentinel.com, "Deaths in South Florida: 8/17," 17 Aug. 2019 The couple confirmed their engagement in August 2015, after more than three years of dating, and got married two years later, in March 2017, in a private ceremony. — Diane J. Cho, PEOPLE.com, "Cameron Diaz & Benji Madden, Taylor Swift & Joe Alwyn and More of the Most Private Couples in Hollywood," 15 Aug. 2019 Some 200,000 people enter the workforce annually, yet last year the private sector added just 3,000 formal positions. — The Economist, "Guatemala’s president-elect promises “sufficient testosterone”," 15 Aug. 2019 And, Liccardo acknowledged, any fee system would have to use blockchain technology or something similar to keep transactions private to avoid violating a state law that prevents local governments from creating gun registries. — Emily Deruy, The Denver Post, "After Gilroy shooting, San Jose mayor pushes new gun liability insurance requirement," 13 Aug. 2019 Just like what happens in the private sector, which had a 27% turnover rate in 2018, new volunteers have to be recruited and trained. — Marlene Walk, The Conversation, "Surprising volunteers with awards is one way to keep them on board," 13 Aug. 2019 The consultant, peeved that the airline tracked down her real-world identity and then broadcast her location, sent a follow-up saying the number amounted to personally identifiable information that the airline was obligated to keep private. — Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, "Airline tracks Twitter user’s real-world ID, publishes her flight number," 9 Aug. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
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 2019 Kravitz was playing a show in Stockholm when his skintight leather pants ripped, exposing his privates — piercing and all. — Lydia Price, PEOPLE.com, "10 Celebrity Dads Who Love to Embarrass Their Kids," 14 June 2019 Assange faces an 18-count indictment that accuses him of soliciting and publishing classified information and of conspiring with former Army private Chelsea Manning to crack a Defense Department computer password. — CBS News, "U.S. submits formal extradition request to UK for WikiLeaks' Julian Assange," 12 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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