privacy

noun

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pri·va·cy | \ ˈprī-və-sē

, especially British ˈpri- \

plural privacies

Definition of privacy

1a : the quality or state of being apart from company or observation : seclusion

b : freedom from unauthorized intrusion one's right to privacy

2a : secrecy

b : a private matter : secret

3 archaic : a place of seclusion

Synonyms Example Sentences Phrases Containing privacy Learn More About privacy

Examples of privacy in a Sentence

She went upstairs for some privacy. Celebrities have a right to privacy.

Recent Examples on the Web Haack ended up purchasing the home, which sits on 23 acres of land and offers optimal privacy. — Kelly Corbett, House Beautiful, 19 Apr. 2022 Donaldson did not want to comment on the record about the breakup, citing Spidell’s privacy, yet Tyson says Donaldson’s singular focus on work was a major contributing factor. — Ej Dickson, Rolling Stone, 19 Apr. 2022 The use of the data privacy law was successful in a case brought by Russians against Orbis Business Intelligence that was decided in 2020. — Washington Post, 29 Mar. 2022 Congress’s attempts to pass a comprehensive national privacy law have stalled for years. — David Uberti, WSJ, 28 Mar. 2022 The region’s online privacy law, the General Data Protection Regulation, which restricts the online collection and sharing of personal data, has served as a model in countries from Japan to Brazil. — New York Times, 24 Mar. 2022 The region’s 2018 privacy law, the General Data Protection Regulation, which restricts the online collection and sharing of personal data, has served as a model in countries from Japan to Brazil. — Adam Satariano, BostonGlobe.com, 24 Mar. 2022 In April 2015, Edelson filed the lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court on behalf of plaintiff Carlo Licata, alleging the social media giant’s use of facial tagging features without consent was not allowed under Illinois privacy law. — Robert Channick, chicagotribune.com, 17 Mar. 2022 Driver license histories are confidential under federal privacy law. — Dianne Gallagher, CNN, 9 Mar. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'privacy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries Near privacy

priv

privacy

privado

Statistics for privacy

Last Updated

22 Apr 2022

Cite this Entry

“Privacy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/privacy. Accessed 29 Apr. 2022.

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More Definitions for privacy

privacy

noun

pri·va·cy | \ ˈprī-və-sē

Kids Definition of privacy

1 : the state of being out of the sight and hearing of other people I went to my room for some privacy.

2 : freedom from intrusion My parents respect my privacy.

privacy

noun

pri·va·cy

Legal Definition of privacy

: 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