privatize
verb
pri·vat·ize
ˈprī-və-ˌtīz 
privatized; privatizing; privatizes
: to make private
especially
: to change from public to private control or ownership
privatize an industry
The mayor's threat to privatize trash collection shook things up. —
Jeff Bailey
Jeff Bailey Examples of privatize in a Sentence
The city decided to privatize the municipal power company.
a proposal to privatize the health-care system
Recent Examples on the Web
On social media and in council meetings, residents have decried the initiative to privatize as a bad-faith effort to control the library system.
—Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2024
For the district’s House position A seat, incumbent Rep. Steve Berch, a vocal critic of privatizing education, runs uncontested in the Democratic primary.
—Hayat Norimine, Idaho Statesman, 10 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for privatize 
Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2024
For the district’s House position A seat, incumbent Rep. Steve Berch, a vocal critic of privatizing education, runs uncontested in the Democratic primary.
—Hayat Norimine, Idaho Statesman, 10 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for privatize
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'privatize.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Privatize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/privatize. Accessed 1 Jun. 2024.
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privatize
transitive verb
pri·va·tize
ˈprī-və-ˌtīz
privatized; privatizing
: to make private
especially
: to change (as a business or industry) from public to private control or ownership
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