1
as in confidential
not known or meant to be known by the general populace
that he is planning to retire is private information until he makes a public announcement
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in clandestine
undertaken or done so as to escape being observed or known by others
a private investigation of the organization's activities
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in personal
of, relating to, or belonging to a single person
club lockers in which private property may be stored
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of private
The letter demanded that Tempo stop infringing on Capelli’s exclusive rights, said the person, who was granted anonymity because the details are private.
—
Eben Novy-Williams,
Sportico.com,
24 June 2026
More than 8,000 of them have since left the country on buses provided by the Malawian government or private sponsors, but others continue to gather.
—
ABC News,
24 June 2026
There’s a growing demand for private, deeply personalized travel that blends cultural depth with effortless luxury.
—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
24 June 2026
The portrait is the only one from a series of the artist’s first wife left in private hands; one is owned by the National Gallery in London.
—
George Nelson,
ARTnews.com,
24 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for private
Eben Novy-Williams,
Sportico.com,
24 June 2026
More than 8,000 of them have since left the country on buses provided by the Malawian government or private sponsors, but others continue to gather.
—
ABC News,
24 June 2026
There’s a growing demand for private, deeply personalized travel that blends cultural depth with effortless luxury.
—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
24 June 2026
The portrait is the only one from a series of the artist’s first wife left in private hands; one is owned by the National Gallery in London.
—
George Nelson,
ARTnews.com,
24 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for private
Recent Examples of Synonyms for private
Adjective
-
All calls are toll-free and confidential.
-
All calls will be kept confidential.
Adjective
-
Some may be announced publicly; others may happen in more clandestine ways.
-
But clandestine flows aren’t the biggest factor behind the market calm.
Adjective
-
Republican legislators, taking their lead from a president who sees half the nation as his personal enemy, have put their own party’s interests over the republic’s.
-
While the property is a showpiece, the reason for selling is personal.
Adjective
-
This house specialty is a whopper of a drink and comes in a goblet filled with the family’s secret blend, which is heavy on Clamato mix.
-
The two recently shared a few behind-the-scenes details from their ultra-secret nuptials when Gomez appeared on a March episode of Blanco's podcast.
Adjective
-
According to his plea agreement with prosecutors, Doyle sold a Glock pistol to an undercover informant on May 20, 2025 — part of a series of transactions on Chicago’s South Side that led to his arrest on July 7, 2025, a few days after the shooting at his daughter’s party.
-
Whether openly or undercover, MSV doesn’t just fail shareholders.
Adjective
-
To meet that demand, develop a travel wellness and performance plan built around personalized habits rather than generic advice.
-
After photos are uploaded and a design direction is selected, Story Mode generates personalized photo book options that can be ordered as-is or customized further.
Adjective
-
In the 1971 technothriller The Andromeda Strain, identifying an unknown microbe took a team of scientists and a secret state-of-the-art underground research facility.
-
There are more than 1,000 corroding, rusty underground storage tanks leaking gasoline into Miami-Dade County’s groundwater, and 6,000 across the state of Florida.
Adjective
-
There remains the question of whether vibe coding works in the artistic space, where the goal is not simply a functional end product but a more nebulous, subjective piece of art.
-
But that is much more difficult in practice, because attitudes and subjective norms are chiseled by years of individual experiences, information and cultural influences.
Cite this Entry
“Private.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/private. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
