semiprivate

American  

[sem-ee-prahy-vit, sem-ahy-] / ˌsɛm iˈpraɪ vɪt, ˌsɛm aɪ- /

adjective

1. having some degree of privacy but not fully private, as a hospital room with fewer beds than a ward.

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Other Word Forms

• semiprivacy noun

Etymology

Origin of semiprivate

First recorded in 1875–80; semi- + private

Example Sentences

We were mostly in this large conference room, like a church lunchroom, with tons of long tables in the middle, with these little semiprivate consult rooms off to the side.

From Slate • Feb. 2, 2026

When combined with designated collaboration zones, these semiprivate spaces create a healthy balance between focus and teamwork.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 5, 2026

In the case of Toni Ferrara, a Phoenix-based public-relations executive, she’s considering booking a flight on a semiprivate charter jet for a business trip to Las Vegas next week.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 8, 2025

The Fed’s 12 reserve banks — semiprivate institutions dotted across the country — each has a nine-person board of directors, three of whom come from the banking industry.

From New York Times • May 15, 2023

It was a semiprivate room, and I’d better not tell you about the other patient in there that made it semiprivate because he looked like he wasn’t long for this world.

From "The Pigman" by Paul Zindel