privatization

American  

[prahy-vuh-tuh-zay-shuhn] / ˈpraɪ və təˈzeɪ ʃən /

noun

privatizations plural

1. the process or practice of selling something owned by the government, typically a public service such as a railway or energy network, to a private company.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• privatizations
  plural

Explanation

When something is owned by the government — like a healthcare system, for example — and its ownership becomes privately held, it's called privatization. If your governor had a plan to replace all the public schools in the state with private schools, you could describe it as privatization. People tend to have strong opinions about privatization, believing either that free enterprise and private companies increase efficiency, or that certain services are harmed by privatization, particularly education, healthcare, and law enforcement. At the heart of privatization is the word private, rooted in the Latin privatus, "belonging to the self rather than the state."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

privatization privatizations

Schoolteachers, transportation workers, Indigenous people and other Bolivians have taken to the streets, calling for wage increases, economic stability and an end to the privatization of state-owned companies.

From Barron's ● May 15, 2026

They included cuts to unemployment benefits and housing subsidies and the privatization of public services, as well as tax cuts and a reform of the pension system to make it more affordable.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 12, 2026

That would avoid the market disruption of full privatization, they said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2025

“I think the past two years gave our town a taste of what potential privatization of the Postal Service could mean for other underserved and rural places throughout the country,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 10, 2025

This possible growth depends on a number of factors we cannot control, including crime rates and sentencing patterns in various jurisdictions and acceptance of privatization.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

Niklas Zennström, the billionaire founder of internet-telecommunications pioneer Skype, said the privatizations helped fuel innovation in sectors like telecoms, which have underpinned the country’s tech boom.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 12, 2026

"Of bonds that arise from the debt restructuring, some could be eligible for a swap of debt for investment in a program of privatizations that includes the oil sector," said Levy.

From Reuters ● Jul. 18, 2023

Greece was also forced to sell off assets as a way to recapitalize its banks, resulting in a wave of privatizations.

From Washington Post ● Mar. 2, 2023

In exchange, creditors exacted what many Greeks still see as a pound of flesh: deep state spending and salary cuts, tax hikes, privatizations and other sweeping reforms aimed at righting public finances.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 20, 2022

Long-awaited privatizations in aviation and energy are scheduled for 1999.

From The 1999 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency