private company

American  

noun

British.

1. a company whose shareholders may not exceed 50 in number and whose shares may not be offered for public subscription.

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private company British  

noun

1. a limited company that does not issue shares for public subscription and whose owners do not enjoy an unrestricted right to transfer their shareholdings Compare public company

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Etymology

Origin of private company

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

The teaching is delivered under contract by a private company at weekends in a small campus in east London.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

Lee responded he had limited sway over Hybe, a private company.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

“We can’t control what a private company does to punish consumers, punish drivers,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2026

"We cannot allow a private company, which may have commercial interests, to get hold of an entire archive collection," AfricaMuseum director Bart Ouvry told AFP.

From Barron's • Feb. 12, 2026

Moody’s, once a private company, had gone public in 2000.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis