privy

1 of 2

adjective

1
2
: belonging or relating to a person in one's individual rather than official capacity
3
: admitted as one sharing in a secret
privy to the conspiracy
privily adverb

privy

2 of 2

noun

plural privies
1
a
: a room or small building having a bench with holes through which the user may defecate or urinate
2
: a person having a legal interest of privity

Examples of privy in a Sentence

Adjective … there were no secrets in the little village to which he was not privy. Sidney Sheldon, The Sands of Time, 1988
Halberstam and I and the other correspondents would have felt less beleaguered had we been privy to the secret debate in Washington. Neil Sheehan, A Bright Shining Lie, 1988
… to assure you that I am neither privy to, nor cognizant of, any such clique; and that I most potently disbelieve in the existence of any such. Abraham Lincoln, letter, 13 Oct. 1849
privy information on the current state of the peace negotiations privy meetings between high-level representatives from both sides for the purpose of bringing about an armistice
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Mucking out the man’s privy and carrying water for his wife provide her with many hours of reflection on how to make a poem. Lawrence Jackson, Harper's Magazine, 10 July 2023 One illustration shows Henry sitting in his privy chamber, playing a harp—a typical depiction of David in psalters and Books of Hours at the time. V.m. Braganza, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Aug. 2023 Colonial Americans who used privy pits—shafts dug into the ground beneath an outhouse—tossed all kinds of trash into the depths along with their sewage. Popsci Staff, Popular Science, 24 May 2023 This can elevate the mood and allow access to privy information. Akin Akinpelu, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2023 At the festival, guests are privy to trying a plethora of fried chicken with a variety of sauces, spices and cooking methods. Megan Dubois, Chron, 2 Apr. 2023 Readers are privy to a conversation Zapruder is having with himself about literature, difference, middle age, memory and the human condition, and the range of this memoir reflects the breadth and depth of this conversation. Maggie Smith, Washington Post, 30 Mar. 2023 Kate Hudson is privy to the perfect spring pants! Alyssa Grabinski, Peoplemag, 30 Mar. 2023 Ironically, many of the series plot points aligned with some of the behind-the-scenes drama that audiences were not privy to until now – including her long-standing romance with co-star Dominic Hoffman (who played Whitley Gilbert’s boyfriend Julian Day). Rivea Ruff, Essence, 19 Dec. 2022
Noun
But it could actually only be used by up to 40 people at a time – each side of the privy is lined with around 20 holes. Emiko Jozuka, CNN, 19 Oct. 2022 The ramshackle houses are heated with firewood and some still make do with an outdoor privy. Alissa Simon, Variety, 12 Nov. 2021 But only one privy for every hundred bunks on the City of Berlin and no deck below in third class: for six nights, the same foul air. Vona Groarke, The New York Review of Books, 7 Apr. 2022 An investigation was launched after Simmons accused Charles of bugging her office and being privy to Board of Education information he was not entitled to, officials wrote. Tanasia Kenney The Charlotte Observer (tns), al, 8 Feb. 2023 But district leadership wasn't privy to the decision until parents were already informed through their schools' principals. Madeline Mitchell, The Enquirer, 7 Feb. 2023 An hour in, the setup is still going on as Rom rummages through old photographs, putting together connections the audience has never been privy to. Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2023 Young workers want personal relationships with senior managers and to be privy to their thinking and decision-making processes. Nick Goldberg, Fortune, 17 Jan. 2023 But nobody, not even Gina, was privy to my writing. Han Ong, The New Yorker, 9 Jan. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'privy.' 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 and Noun

Middle English prive, from Anglo-French privé, from Latin privatus private

First Known Use

Adjective

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

Noun

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

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

Dictionary Entries Near privy

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

privy

1 of 2 adjective
1
2
3
: sharing in a secret
privy to the conspiracy

privy

2 of 2 noun
plural privies
1
: a small building without plumbing used as a toilet
2

Legal Definition

privy

noun
plural privies
: one having privity
especially : one who acquires an interest in the subject matter (as property) of prior or pending litigation and is bound by the judgment as if he or she were a party to the action
Etymology

Noun

Anglo-French privé, from Old French, intimate, confidant, from privé intimate, familiar, from Latin privatus private

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