in private

Idioms  

1. Not in public; secretly, confidentially. For example, The hearings will be conducted in private, or May I speak to you in private? [Late 1500s] For an antonym, see in public.

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Example Sentences

All the other kids had left the classroom, and Bat really wanted Israel to leave, too, so that he could talk to Mr. Grayson in private.

From Literature

"It's so funny because the Europeans, they're so friendly in private, and they're willing to make a lot of accommodations, and then publicly they attack us."

From BBC

Shares of asset managers involved in private lending were also caught up in the selling.

From MarketWatch

This was the last remaining lion in private hands.

From The Wall Street Journal

Concerns about AI’s disruptive potential for software, which accounts for 25% of BDC holdings, are driving worries about eroding credit quality in private credit loans.

From Barron's

Related Words

• covert
• enigmatic
• reticent
• taciturn