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

See Examples For:

private sector

It also highlighted average earnings in real terms increased by 0.9% in the private sector and 2.9% in the public sector over 12 years.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

The action "eliminates the final major barriers for private sector investment in Syria and promotes Syria's economic recovery and reintegration into the global economy," he said in a statement.

From Barron's ● Aug. 24, 2026

Vectus would reduce the cost of air-defense systems for governments and the private sector, he said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

Tata Group is one of the largest private sector employers in the world, with over a million employees.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 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