privateer
Americannoun
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an armed ship that is privately owned and manned, commissioned by a government to fight or harass enemy ships.
verb (used without object)
noun
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an armed, privately owned vessel commissioned for war service by a government
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Also called: privateersman. a commander or member of the crew of a privateer
verb
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a competitor, esp in motor racing, who is privately financed rather than sponsored by a manufacturer
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(intr) to serve as a privateer
Etymology
Origin of privateer
Explanation
Long ago, a privately-owned ship used during wartime was known as a privateer. Often the captain and crew of such a ship were also called privateers. The term privateer is sometimes used interchangeably with "pirate," and in fact these independent sailors frequently acted as pirates, looting and seizing other seagoing vessels for their own benefit. Originally, the term designated ships that were commissioned during wartime by a government, so they could aid in fighting the enemy at sea. The word comes from the phrase "private man of war," and is modeled after "volunteer" and "buccaneer."
Vocabulary lists containing privateer
Words Every Pirate Should Know
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Chapter 6: The American Revolution
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Torpedoed
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Ecclestone, a former second-hand car dealer, recognised a kindred spirit and was a kind of guardian angel at times as Jordan navigated the choppy waters of being a privateer team owner.
From BBC • Mar. 20, 2025
Sir Francis Drake was an English privateer, sailing and seizing stuff on behalf of the queen.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 1, 2025
His father, Jan Jansen, a Dutch privateer, was captured by one of the Moorish states in 1618.
From New York Times • Dec. 3, 2019
The San Juan Bautista, a Spanish ship transporting enslaved Africans, was bound for Mexico when it was attacked by the White Lion and another privateer, the Treasurer, and forced to surrender its African prisoners.
From The Guardian • Aug. 14, 2019
He’d had a running fight with a French privateer and had lost three men.
From "Carry On, Mr. Bowditch" by Jean Lee Latham
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
