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

Words nearby privy

privileged, privileged altar, privily, privity, priv. pr., privy, privy chamber, privy coat, privy council, privy purse, privy seal

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use privy in a sentence

Given their status, reviewers are privy to moments of birding vulnerability, such as when birders make identification mistakes.
How eBird Changed Birding Forever|Jessie Williamson|December 4, 2020|Outside Online
I’ve been in a lot of rooms and have been privy to conversations about user suppression, interactions with government officials, hiding company secrets, manipulation of employees, and internal discussions.
Former Facebook employee’s new book exposes Big Tech’s dirty secrets|Danielle Abril|October 25, 2020|Fortune
Unfortunately I was not privy to blood volume and therefore hematocrit levels.
Inside a secret running program at Nike and a win-at-all-costs corporate culture|Rachel King|October 6, 2020|Fortune
The “Q” of QAnon is supposedly a high-level government official privy to these secrets because of a top-secret security clearance.
As QAnon grew, Facebook and Twitter missed years of warning signs about the conspiracy theory’s violent nature|Craig Timberg, Elizabeth Dwoskin|October 1, 2020|Washington Post

In response to Charvel’s letter, a principal of the financing firm that has stepped up to represent investors following the city’s decision to stop paying rent said lenders also weren’t privy to all of Cisterra’s expenses.
The City Doesn’t Know Where $14M in Ash Street Deal Went|Lisa Halverstadt|September 26, 2020|Voice of San Diego
Pinsky was also privy to payouts for his celebrity, accepting a lucrative consulting gig with Janssen Pharmaceutica.
It’s Time to Turn Off TV Doctors|April Siese|June 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I'm just an average citizen not privy to that kind of information.
Reader Poll Results: Do you Care That the NSA Is Spying on You?|The Daily Beast|June 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Neither Wyden nor Feingold, who were both privy to the interpretation, ever disclosed further details.
How Barack Obama Made Friends With Big Brother|Daniel Klaidman, Eli Lake|June 6, 2013|DAILY BEAST
He believes he is privy to information not reflected in polls.
Republicans: Check Your Premises||November 9, 2012|DAILY BEAST
For the believers who turned to him, Elyashiv's rulings carried the weight of someone privy to God's will.
The Passing of Rav Elyashiv|Sahar Segal|July 19, 2012|DAILY BEAST
It has been said that the Duke betrayed the Bourbons and was privy to the Emperor's return, but this is a calumny.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
Having wound these about the waist, they twist them so that they cover the privy parts.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
The books of the Treasury and of the Privy Council were rescued, and are still preserved.
The History of England from the Accession of James II.|Thomas Babington Macaulay
His privy councillors are to be found among slaveholders in the United States.
The Condition, Elevation, Emigration, and Destiny of the Colored People of the United States|Martin R. Delany
His continued efforts to suppress the drama finally led the troupes to appeal for re22lief to the Privy Council.
Shakespearean Playhouses|Joseph Quincy Adams

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 nearby privy

Words related to privy

How to use privy in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for privy

Word Origin for privy