private

adjective
pri·vate
/ˈpɹaɪ.vɪt/

Belonging or pertaining to an individual person, group of people, or entity that is not the state.

Example

“In some countries, healthcare is provided by both the government and private companies.”

Other meanings

Relating to an individual or group of individuals outside of their official roles; often, sensitive or personal.
“This book is her private journal.”
Not publicly known or divulged; secret, confidential; intended only for a specific person or group.
“The identity of the beneficiaries of the trust is private.”

Antonyms

public

Related words

nonprivate
privateer
privateness
privatise
privatism
privatize
privatopia
privish
privishing
semiprivate
unprivate
permanent private hall

Example sentences

“This is a private road.”
Tatoeba · ddnktr · CC0
“This is a private conversation.”
Tatoeba · shekitten · CC0
“Why do you want to have the conversation in private?”
Tatoeba · Miktsoanit · CC0

Word history

From Latin "prīvātus" (bereaved, deprived, set apart from, release).

Where this comes from

This definition is adapted from “private” on Wiktionary, by its contributors; example sentences are from Tatoeba, credited to their authors above, published under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page is published under the same licence.