private sector

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noun

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

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Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Compare public sector.

Origin of private sector

First recorded in 1950–55

Words nearby private sector

private practice, private press, private property, private school, private secretary, private sector, private treaty, private trust, private view, private viewdata, privation

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use private sector in a sentence

You have one person in the private sector who’s not elected by anyone who can effectively decide whether someone can speak.
Twenty-Six Words Created the Internet. What Will It Take to Save It?|Stephen Engelberg|February 9, 2021|ProPublica
Instead, we are falling between two stools, with the public sector forgoing its broader societal function and the private sector only beginning to assume the mantle.
The Public Trusts Businesses Over Government to Solve Our Problems. But We Need Both to Try|Colin Mayer|February 3, 2021|Time
We’re conditioned to think of the government and private sectors as antagonistic forces within the economy, with opposing motives.
Beyond GameStop: Are You Ready for an Economic Moonshot?|Charu Kasturi|January 31, 2021|Ozy
The local government is also pushing the private sector to do its part, starting with the thriving but ecologically harmful fashion industry.
Amsterdam Is Embracing a Radical New Economic Theory to Help Save the Environment. Could It Also Replace Capitalism?|Ciara Nugent|January 22, 2021|Time

He left politics in 2009 after being marginalized by the chancellor and moved into the private sector, becoming a multimillionaire as he rose to the rank of chairman of investment management firm BlackRock Germany.
Angela Merkel's CDU Party Is Choosing a New Leader. Whoever Wins Might Become Germany's Next Chancellor|Madeline Roache|January 14, 2021|Time
ROME — What does it take for a Hollywood A-lister to get a private audience with Pope Francis?
Pope Francis Has the Pleasure of Meeting Angelina Jolie for a Few Seconds|Barbie Latza Nadeau|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The family was taking some private moments for a closing of the coffin in keeping with Chinese ritual.
Funeral Protest Is Too Much for NYPD Union Boss|Michael Daly|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But while his public profile receded, his private life blossomed.
Ed Brooke: The Senate's Civil Rights Pioneer and Prophet of a Post-Racial America|John Avlon|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
My nickname was Captain, though I was a private, first class.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The role of private investigators has stirred controversy in the investigation.
U.S. Spies Say They Tracked ‘Sony Hackers’ For Years|Shane Harris|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Dean Swift was indeed a misanthrope by theory, however he may have made exception to private life.
Gulliver's Travels|Jonathan Swift
But if what I told him were true, he was still at a loss how a kingdom could run out of its estate like a private person.
Gulliver's Travels|Jonathan Swift
The private chapel, built out from the house on the side next Calne, had not been used for years and years.
Elster's Folly|Mrs. Henry Wood
Proof was given to him, of Elizabeth having admitted Ripperda to private political discussions in the Altheim apartments.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
The two enjoyed a mutual understanding from which he was excluded, a private intimacy that was spiritual, mental,— physical.
The Wave|Algernon Blackwood

British Dictionary definitions for private sector

private sector

noun

the part of a country's economy that consists of privately owned enterprisesCompare public sector

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for private sector

private sector

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.

private sector

Origin of private sector

Words nearby private sector

Words related to private sector

How to use private sector in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for private sector

Cultural definitions for private sector