private sector

American  

noun

1. the area of the nation's economy under private rather than governmental control.

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private sector British  

noun

1. the part of a country's economy that consists of privately owned enterprises Compare public sector

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private sector Cultural  

1. That part of an economy in which goods and services are produced by individuals and companies as opposed to the government, which controls the public sector.

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Etymology

Origin of private sector

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

private sector

In data-center-dense Virginia, Northern Virginia Community College launched a program for data-center work with help from the private sector.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026

Agency for International Development, which aimed to grow the private sector after the Soviet Union’s breakup.

From Salon ● Sep. 16, 2026

The government argues that competitive salaries are necessary to deter corruption and attract top talent from the private sector.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026

"A ban is more self-enforcing because you have involved the private sector and it becomes commercially unviable for them to deal in settlement goods," Stober says.

From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026

Thinking he could fare better in the private sector, he eventually quit the force to go into business with friends.

From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung