privatization

American  

[prahy-vuh-tuh-zay-shuhn] / ˈpraɪ və təˈzeɪ ʃən /

noun

• privatizations
  plural

1. the process or practice of selling something owned by the government, typically a public service such as a railway or energy network, to a private company.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• privatizations
  plural

Explanation

When something is owned by the government — like a healthcare system, for example — and its ownership becomes privately held, it's called privatization. If your governor had a plan to replace all the public schools in the state with private schools, you could describe it as privatization. People tend to have strong opinions about privatization, believing either that free enterprise and private companies increase efficiency, or that certain services are harmed by privatization, particularly education, healthcare, and law enforcement. At the heart of privatization is the word private, rooted in the Latin privatus, "belonging to the self rather than the state."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

privatization privatizations

Thousands of farmers, miners, teachers, workers from other sectors and Indigenous communities have led weeks-long protests calling for wage increases, economic stability and an end to the privatization of state-owned companies.

From Barron's ● May 18, 2026

The McCoys settled in Imperial Beach in the early 1970s — Mike was a veterinarian, Patricia a teacher — when the coastal protection movement was spreading across the state amid fears of overdevelopment and privatization.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 14, 2026

“We think shares are fairly valued, but a share buyback resumption from the second half of 2026, after the completion of the Hang Seng Bank privatization, should support the share price,” Chan says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 4, 2025

That would avoid the market disruption of full privatization, they said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2025

This possible growth depends on a number of factors we cannot control, including crime rates and sentencing patterns in various jurisdictions and acceptance of privatization.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

Niklas Zennström, the billionaire founder of internet-telecommunications pioneer Skype, said the privatizations helped fuel innovation in sectors like telecoms, which have underpinned the country’s tech boom.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 12, 2026

"Of bonds that arise from the debt restructuring, some could be eligible for a swap of debt for investment in a program of privatizations that includes the oil sector," said Levy.

From Reuters ● Jul. 18, 2023

Greece was also forced to sell off assets as a way to recapitalize its banks, resulting in a wave of privatizations.

From Washington Post ● Mar. 2, 2023

After the end of communism in 1989, the Polish economy was quickly liberalized through privatizations and foreign investment, and a push for Poland to join the E.U. brought social reforms.

From New York Times ● Oct. 19, 2021

It is committed to opening the economy to trade and investment, and has embarked on a wave of privatizations extending to telecom, electricity distribution, banking, and pension funds.

From The 2008 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency