privy

[ priv-ee ]

/ ˈprɪv i /

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See synonyms for: privy / privies on Thesaurus.com

adjective, priv·i·er, priv·i·est.

participating in the knowledge of something private or secret (usually followed by to): Many persons were privy to the plot.

private; assigned to private uses.

belonging or pertaining to some particular person, especially with reference to a sovereign.

secret, concealed, hidden, or secluded.

acting or done in secret.

noun, plural priv·ies.

outhouse (def. 1).

Law. a person participating directly in or having a derivative interest in a legal transaction.

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Origin of privy

1175–1225; Middle English prive<Old French: private (adj.), close friend, private place (noun) <Latin prīvātusprivate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use privy in a sentence

Now throw them into the privies,” said the father, “and let the children perform the necessities of nature on them.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898|Various
In this part of the city there are neither sewers nor other drains, nor even privies belonging to the houses.
The Condition of the Working-Class in England in 1844|Frederick Engels
Privies are so rare here that they are either filled up every day, or are too remote for most of the inhabitants to use.
The Condition of the Working-Class in England in 1844|Frederick Engels
Outbuildings are few; privies are almost unknown—even at the schools there are no closets of any kind.
The Negro Farmer|Carl Kelsey

Always avoid, in the country, drinking water from farmers' wells located near cesspools or privies.
The Home Medical Library, Volume V (of VI)|Various

British Dictionary definitions for privy

privy

/ (ˈprɪvɪ) /

adjective privier or priviest

(postpositive foll by to) participating in the knowledge of something secret

archaic secret, hidden, etc

archaic of or relating to one person only

noun plural privies

a lavatory, esp an outside one

law a person in privity with anotherSee privity (def. 1)

Word Origin for privy

C13: from Old French privé something private, from Latin prīvātus private

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

privy

Origin of privy

Words related to privy

How to use privy in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for privy

Word Origin for privy