private company

American  

noun

British.

1. a company whose shareholders may not exceed 50 in number and whose shares may not be offered for public subscription.

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private company British  

noun

1. a limited company that does not issue shares for public subscription and whose owners do not enjoy an unrestricted right to transfer their shareholdings Compare public company

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Etymology

Origin of private company

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

private company

This was just about stealing test answers from a private company, Yampolskiy said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

It also makes Revolut the latest private company to catapult above $100 billion in value even as it eschews the public markets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

The cheaper option is by unenrolled deed poll, which a person can do by themselves or through a private company for a fee.

From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026

In April, Poland’s Galaxy Systemy Informatyczne became the first private company to purchase an IQM computer.

From Barron's ● Jun. 21, 2026

Moody’s, once a private company, had gone public in 2000.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis