privy

American  

[priv-ee] / ˈprɪv i /

adjective

privier, priviest

1. participating in the knowledge of something private or secret (usually followed byto ).

   Many persons were privy to the plot.

2. private; assigned to private uses.

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

4. secret, concealed, hidden, or secluded.

5. acting or done in secret.

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noun

plural

privies

1. outhouse.

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

privy British  

/ ˈprɪvɪ /

adjective

1. participating in the knowledge of something secret

2. archaic secret, hidden, etc

3. archaic of or relating to one person only

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noun

1. a lavatory, esp an outside one

2. law a person in privity with another See privity

Etymology

Origin of privy

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English prive, from Old French: “private” (adjective), “close friend, private place” (noun), from Latin prīvātus private

Explanation

If you're privy to something, you've been let in on a secret or know about something that most people don't. Not many people are privy to what those top secret documents are all about, for example. The adjective privy comes from the Latin privatus, meaning “private,” and describes someone who has knowledge of secret or confidential information. But watch out: If you use privy as a noun, it can mean “outhouse” or “toilet,” which actually might be a good place to hide your diary if you don't want anyone else to be privy to its contents.

Example Sentences

He said that EchoStar isn’t privy to SpaceX’s valuation and invested on “faith” in the company, adding: “I’m anxious to see if they do, in fact, do an IPO.”

From MarketWatch • Mar. 2, 2026

“You just feel that it’s happening, even if you’re not privy to the exact contents of the conversations.”

From Salon • Feb. 24, 2026

Since we are not privy to the perspectives of any of the Sharafs, there is a somewhat frustrating hole at the center of “Good People.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 5, 2026

Holley questions whether Morgan and Lake based decisions on information the wider public wasn't privy to.

From BBC • Dec. 15, 2025

You could use the boys’ privy, though the back of it was entirely gone and daylight showed through the roof.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck