privacy

noun

pri·​va·​cy ˈprī-və-sē 

especially British ˈpri-

plural privacies

1

a

: the quality or state of being apart from company or observation : seclusion

b

: freedom from unauthorized intrusion

one's right to privacy

2

a

: secrecy

b

: a private matter : secret

3

archaic : a place of seclusion

Synonyms of privacy

• solitude
• isolation

Examples of privacy in a Sentence

She went upstairs for some privacy.

Celebrities have a right to privacy.

Recent Examples on the Web

Police said no additional information is available and asked the public to respect the reporting party's privacy. —Doug Myers, CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026

The nurturing Moon drifts into your 12th House of Solitude, inviting you to pause and seek privacy. —Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 27 Mar. 2026

Class action lawsuits, fragmented billing and steep regulatory fines due to patient privacy breaches and other issues often result in tens to hundreds of millions of dollars of losses. —Jeffrey Tully, Fortune, 26 Mar. 2026

Spellane said Patriot Mobile was one of the only companies that fiercely defended users’ privacy. —Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing privacy

• invade someone's privacy
• invasion of (someone's) privacy

Kids Definition

privacy

noun

pri·​va·​cy ˈprī-və-sē 

plural privacies

1

a

: the quality or state of being out of the sight and hearing of other people : seclusion

the privacy of the home

b

: freedom from being intruded upon

one's right to privacy

2

: secrecy sense 2

talk in privacy

Legal Definition

privacy

noun

pri·​va·​cy

: freedom from unauthorized intrusion : state of being let alone and able to keep certain especially personal matters to oneself see also expectation of privacy, invasion of privacy, privacy interest at interest sense 3b, right of privacy, Griswold v. Connecticut and Roe v. Wade