private

American  

[prahy-vit] / ˈpraɪ vɪt /

adjective

1. belonging to some particular person.

   private property.

2. pertaining to or affecting a particular person or a small group of persons; individual; personal.

   for your private satisfaction.

   Synonyms:

   peculiar, particular, singular

   Antonyms:

   public, general

3. confined to or intended only for the persons immediately concerned; confidential.

   a private meeting.

4. personal and not publicly expressed.

   one's private feelings.

5. not holding public office or employment.

   private citizens.

6. not of an official or public character; unrelated to one's official job or position.

   a former senator who has returned to private life;

   a college president speaking in his private capacity as a legal expert.

7. removed from or out of public view or knowledge; secret.

   private papers.

8. not open or accessible to the general public.

   a private beach.

9. undertaken individually or personally.

   private research.

10. without the presence of others; alone.

    Let's go into another room where we can be private.

    Synonyms:

    retired

11. solitary; secluded.

    He wants to meet us in a more private place.

12. preferring privacy; retiring.

    a very private person.

13. intimate; most personal.

    private behavior.

14. of, having, or receiving special hospital facilities, privileges, and services, especially a room of one's own and liberal visiting hours.

    a private room;

    a private patient.

15. of lowest military rank.

16. of, relating to, or coming from nongovernmental sources.

    private funding.

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noun

privates plural

1. a soldier of one of the three lowest enlisted ranks.

2. privates. private parts.

idioms

1. in private, not publicly; secretly.

   The hearing will be conducted in private.

private British  

/ ˈpraɪvɪt /

adjective

1. not widely or publicly known

   they had private reasons for the decision

2. confidential; secret

   a private conversation

3. not for general or public use

   a private bathroom

4. (prenominal) individual; special

   my own private recipe

5. (prenominal) having no public office, rank, etc

   a private man

6. (prenominal) denoting a soldier of the lowest military rank

   a private soldier

7. of, relating to, or provided by a private individual or organization, rather than by the state or a public body

   the private sector

   private housing

8. (of a place) retired; sequestered; not overlooked

9. (of a person) reserved; uncommunicative

10. in secret; confidentially

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noun

1. a soldier of the lowest rank, sometimes separated into qualification grades, in many armies and marine corps

   private first class

private More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing private

• free (private) enterprise
• in private

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• privateness
  noun
• unprivateness
  noun
• quasi-private
  adjective
• unprivate
  adjective
• privately
  adverb
• quasi-privately
  adverb
• unprivately
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• privates
  plural

Etymology

Origin of private

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin prīvātus “private,” literally, “taken away (from public affairs),” special use of past participle of prīvāre “to rob”; see deprive, -ate ¹

Explanation

Something private is something you don't want to share; it's for your eyes only. Your diary entries and your bank account balance might both be kept private. As a noun, the lowest enlisted rank is called private. You may enlist as a private but have plans to retire from the Army as a four-star general! Sometimes the adjective private is used as the opposite of public. If you own your own island, it's private property. Alcatraz Island, however, is public property and the site of a museum preserving its past life as a famous prison — former home to Al Capone.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

private privates

The best way to measure the actual performance of the economy is by focusing on what’s known as final sales to private domestic buyers — that is, American businesses and the American people.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026

Morrison has recruited other executives to Jersey Mike’s, including former Wingstop colleagues and some from other private equity backed chains, such as Krispy Kreme.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

That has prompted fears that too much influence in those competitions will be handed to private investors, although Fifa says it will enable more money to be distributed to football associations around the globe.

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026

The Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board voted to require shopping centers, warehouses, private hospitals and office complexes whose properties drain into the Dominguez and Los Cerritos channels to get stormwater permits.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026

As these were private gatherings, very few accounts of early séances even exist.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

Taking a step back and looking at initial public offerings and public equity markets versus privates, I think it’s fair to say that somewhere along the line, we’ve lost our way.

From Barron's ● May 21, 2026

What, Henry asks, “have kings, that privates have not too, save ceremony, save general ceremony?”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 9, 2026

Aircraft engineers can get £30,000 if they sign up for a further three years, with privates and lance corporals eligible for £8,000 for four years.

From BBC ● Jun. 21, 2025

Andriy Yermak, the head of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's office, said the released servicemen included two officers, sergeants and privates who fought in different parts of the front.

From Reuters ● Aug. 7, 2023

Perhaps Ellen did not know before she died that Henry and Bon were now privates in the company which their classmates at the University had organised.

From "Absalom, Absalom!" by William Faulkner

Related Words

• confidential
• exclusive
• independent
• individual
• secret
• separate
• special