private

1 of 2

adjective

pri·​vate ˈprī-vət How to pronounce private (audio)
1
a
: intended for or restricted to the use of a particular person, group, or class
a private park
b
: belonging to or concerning an individual person, company, or interest
a private house
c(1)
: carried on by the individual independently of the usual institutions
a doctor in private practice
also : being educated by independent study or a tutor or in a private school
private students
(2)
: restricted to the individual or arising independently of others
private opinion
d
: not general in effect
a private statute
e(1)
: accommodating only one patient
The private patient room, once a luxury for the privileged few, is about to become the standard for the nation's hospitals, as evidence mounts that shared rooms lead to higher infection rates, more medical errors, privacy violations and harmful stress.Laura Landro
(2)
: staying or recovering in a room accommodating only one patient
private hospital patients
compare semiprivate sense 2
2
a(1)
: not related to one's official position : personal
private correspondence
(2)
: not holding public office or employment
a private citizen
b
: being a private
3
a
: not known or intended to be known publicly : secret
b
: preferring to keep personal affairs to oneself : valuing privacy highly
c
: withdrawn from company or observation
a private retreat
d
: unsuitable for public use or display
4
: not having shares that can be freely traded on the open market
a private company
privately adverb
privateness noun

private

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: an enlisted person of the lowest rank in the marine corps or of one of the two lowest ranks in the army
b
: a person of low rank in any of various organizations (such as a police or fire department)
2
privates plural : private parts
3
archaic : one not in public office
4
obsolete : privacy
Phrases
in private
: not openly or in public

Examples of private in a Sentence

Adjective It was the first time many had seen works from the artist's private collection. At work he was always very serious, but in his private life, he was actually very funny and relaxed. Please keep all my personal information private. He's a very private person.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
In addition, Zani’s own co-worker sued the private security firm and nine officers late last year alleging Zani and others profiled and harassed Black RenCen guests since at least 2016. Andrea May Sahouri, Detroit Free Press, 16 Mar. 2024 Elsewhere, the primary suite sports a water-facing soaking tub, a private lounge area, and a dressing room. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 15 Mar. 2024 Efficacy The school evaluation might also be faster than a private company's. Suzie Glassman, Parents, 15 Mar. 2024 Storage companies and fertility clinics are typically private companies that set their own prices. Amber Ferguson, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 But for now, the only thing coming into Port-au-Prince are the private evacuation helicopters – a bitter reminder of the gross inequality that has plagued Haiti for decades, where most people live on less than $4 per day. Caitlin Stephen Hu, CNN, 15 Mar. 2024 In private, the two have clashed in a series of phone calls — the last of which was a month ago — but Mr. Biden has been reluctant to publicly split with Mr. Netanyahu. Peter Baker, New York Times, 15 Mar. 2024 Agarwal succeeds David Barter, who was the CFO when the company transitioned from publicly listed to its acquisition by the private equity firm Francisco Partners. Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 15 Mar. 2024 Gates didn't reply to the news outlet's request for comment, and his Instagram account is now private. Esme Mazzeo, Peoplemag, 15 Mar. 2024
Noun
The soldiers, ages 19 to 51 and mostly privates and a few officers, appeared to have several motivations for providing their accounts. Rebecca Tan, Washington Post, 14 Feb. 2024 After years of keeping her claim-to-fame private, Smith revealed her Teletubbies history on Facebook in 2014. Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 13 Oct. 2023 His first band, the Losers, played shows in their underwear, Utterback remembers, like a Midwestern version of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, who were known to perform wearing only socks over their privates. Tim Carman, Washington Post, 20 Dec. 2023 One of those cases involved Kenneth Hagans, a 60-year-old father of four who served as a private in the Army in the early 1980s. Kathleen McGrory, ProPublica, 9 Jan. 2024 Last July, Travis King, a private who was reportedly facing disciplinary action, bolted away from a private DMZ tour; he was sent back to the U.S. in September and has been charged with desertion, among other crimes. Francine Uenuma, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Jan. 2024 Travis Kelce is keeping details about his romance with Taylor Swift private. Ingrid Vasquez, Peoplemag, 4 Nov. 2023 Army private Travis King, who bolted to North Korea earlier this year, has been charged with a host of crime from the U.S. ranging from desertion to possessing child pornography, according to a report from Reuters. Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, Fox News, 20 Oct. 2023 Many jackpot recipients would rather keep their good fortune private, with safety being one concern. Bysteve Mollman, Fortune, 16 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'private.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English privat, from Anglo-French, from Latin privatus, from past participle of privare to deprive, release, from privus private, individual; probably akin to Latin pro for, in front of — more at for

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of private was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near private

Cite this Entry

“Private.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/private. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

private

1 of 2 adjective
pri·​vate ˈprī-vət How to pronounce private (audio)
1
: having to do with or for the use of a single person or group : not public
private property
a private beach
2
a
: not holding any public office
a private citizen
b
: not relating to one's official position : personal
private letters
your own private opinion
3
: not known or meant to be known publicly
private meetings
keep personal information private
4
: not under public control
a private school
privately adverb
privateness noun

private

2 of 2 noun
1
plural : private parts
2
: a person of low or lowest rank in an organized group (as a police or fire department)
especially : an enlisted person of the lowest ranks in the army or marine corps

Medical Definition

private

adjective
pri·​vate ˈprī-vət How to pronounce private (audio)
1
: accommodating only one patient
a private patient room
also : staying or recovering in a room accommodating only one patient
private hospital patients
compare semiprivate
2
: of, relating to, or being private practice
a private office
a private practitioner

Legal Definition

private

adjective
pri·​vate
1
a
: intended for or restricted to the use of a particular person or group or class of persons : not available to the public
a private park
b
: not related to, controlled by, or deriving from the state
a private school
2
a
: owned by or concerning an individual person or entity
private land
b
: not having shares that can be freely traded on the open market
a private company
3
: affecting the interests of a particular person, class or group of persons, or locality
private legislation
private rights
4
a
: not invested with or engaged in public office or employment
a private citizen
b
: not related to or dependent on an official position
private correspondence
5
: not known publicly or carried on in public
especially : intended only for the persons involved
6
: made under private signature
a private instrument

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