privy

¹privy

adj \ˈpri-vē\

Definition of PRIVY

1

a : private, withdrawn b : secret

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>

— priv·i·ly \-və-lē\ adverb

Examples of PRIVY

1. <privy information on the current state of the peace negotiations>
2. <privy meetings between high-level representatives from both sides for the purpose of bringing about an armistice>
3. … there were no secrets in the little village to which he was not privy. —Sidney Sheldon, The Sands of Time, 1988
4. 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
5. … 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

Origin of PRIVY

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

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to PRIVY

Synonyms: behind-the-scenes, confidential, esoteric, hushed, hush-hush, inside, intimate, nonpublic, private, secret

Antonyms: common, open, public

Related Words: classified, restricted, top secret; silent, unadvertised, unannounced, undisclosed, unmentioned, unsaid, untold; clandestine, closet, collusive, conspiratorial, covert; furtive, hugger-mugger, occult, sneak, sneaking, sneaky, stealthy, surreptitious, undercover, underground, underhand, underhanded; personal; closeted, concealed, hidden; repressed, silenced, stifled, suppressed; backstage, offscreen, offstage

Near Antonyms: well-known; advertised, aired, announced, blazed, broadcast, declared, disclosed, divulged, enunciated, heralded, proclaimed, professed, promulgated, publicized, published, reported, spotlighted; general, popular, prevailing, vulgar; current, prevalent, rife, widespread; communal, shared

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Rhymes with PRIVY

chivy, civvy, divvy, Livy, skivvy