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

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

From Barron's • Jun. 3, 2026

It also radically changed how the office operated, according to interviews with more than a dozen people who worked there or interacted with it from the private sector or other parts of the government.

From Salon • May 31, 2026

Cairncross and others pushed for cybersecurity-focused officials to work with the private sector on addressing weaknesses.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 23, 2026

He’d carried the load admirably, inspiring people like Barack and Valerie to move out of the private sector and into community work and public service.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama