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

“If they can’t get sufficient investment from the private sector to maximize AI development and deployment, then they will consider taking stakes in some subset of it,” Haines told MarketWatch.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 8, 2026

Even so, Singh remains determined to pursue a government career rather than enter the private sector, where she’s seen layoffs at major companies.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026

Healthcare continued to dominate job growth in the private sector, but others also showed gains.

From Barron's • Jun. 3, 2026

When Bondi was ousted from the Department of Justice at the beginning of April, she said she was excited to be entering a role in the private sector.

From BBC • May 29, 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