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

“Jim O’Neill spent over a decade in the private sector helping identify and finance cutting-edge technologies of the future,” a White House spokesperson said in a statement to Salon.

From Salon • May 7, 2026

Expanding free childcare relies on the private sector expanding as well to provide places for children as fast as demand rises.

From BBC • May 3, 2026

Venezuela has moved to open the oil and mining sectors to the private sector.

From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026

The administration is balancing innovation and security while cooperating with the private sector to make sure AI models are rolled out safely, a White House official said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 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