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

Where there is government resistance, the private sector is starting to take matters in its own hands, he says.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 6, 2026

Abandoned for years, the Ellinikon site was sold by the Greek government to the private sector during the financial crisis.

From Barron's • Jul. 3, 2026

ADP’s report is based on anonymized payroll data from more than 26 million U.S. employees in the private sector.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 1, 2026

Self-compounding advantages in education and research led to scientific discoveries that ultimately made their way to the private sector — the internet being one notable example — while ensuring a deep pool of top talent.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 28, 2026

The Dow Jones Industrial Average had fallen 449 points, to its lowest level in four years, and most of the market-moving news was coming not from the private sector but from government officials.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis