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.

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Example Sentences

The risk/reward of staying in private funds isn’t good because fund performance has started to weaken and there is a risk of higher redemptions in the coming quarters.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

If a default cycle kicks off, “bank lending is likely to emerge as more than an offset to the slowdown in private credit,” they write, adding that easing banking regulations will incentivize increased lending.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

But in private communications with the alleged victim, he invoked the investigation in an effort to persuade her to disavow the allegations, the Journal has reported.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

If you have an adviser who is managing your investments in private equity or real estate, for instance, you won’t get the same kind of daily access to an account dashboard.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026

But her thoughts had become hopelessly tangled, and the only thing that she was certain of was that it would actually be easier to sort all of that out in private.

From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny

Related Words

• covert
• enigmatic
• reticent
• taciturn