Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

in private

Idioms  

  1. Not in public; secretly, confidentially. For example, The hearings will be conducted in private, or May I speak to you in private? [Late 1500s] For an antonym, see in public.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But, as Greg Obershain and Daniel Rasmussen of Boston asset management firm Verdad point out, whatever struggles private-capital investors will have are likely to be dwarfed by those investing in private equity.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 28, 2026

Nevertheless, some have likened what is happening in private credit to a slow run on a bank.

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026

As more Americans invest in private companies, regulation must keep pace.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026

Parts of Thursday's committee hearing took place in private to protect the identity of the call handler, who was not present.

From BBC • Apr. 26, 2026

He wanted to examine himself in private, but that was hardly possible here.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.