private sector

American  

noun

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

---

private sector British  

noun

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

---

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.

---

Etymology

Origin of private sector

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

Working in Japan’s favor are shareholder-friendly governance reforms in the private sector and increased demand for Japanese services and goods as nations race to revitalize manufacturing and reduce reliance on China.

From Barron's • May 20, 2026

As the state retreated, the private sector expanded.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026

National Wealth Fund Bill - In October 2024, Chancellor Rachel Reeves rebranded the previous government's National Infrastructure Bank as the National Wealth Fund, with the aim of stimulating private sector investment in infrastructure projects.

From BBC • May 10, 2026

"Over the last 24 months, health care has created 81 percent of the private sector jobs -- everything else, 19 percent," he told AFP, calling it a "risky" way to run the economy.

From Barron's • May 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