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Definition of private
1a : intended for or restricted to the use of a particular person, group, or class a private parkb : belonging to or concerning an individual person, company, or interest a private housec (1) : restricted to the individual or arising independently of others private opinion (2) : carried on by the individual independently of the usual institutions a doctor in private practice; also : being educated by independent study or a tutor or in a private school private studentsd : not general in effect a private statutee : of, relating to, or receiving hospital service in which the patient has more privileges than a semiprivate or ward patient
2a (1) : not holding public office or employment a private citizen (2) : not related to one's official position : personal private correspondenceb : being a private
3a : withdrawn from company or observation a private retreatb : not known or intended to be known publicly : secretc : preferring to keep personal affairs to oneself : valuing privacy highlyd : unsuitable for public use or display
4 : not having shares that can be freely traded on the open market a private company
privately
adverbprivateness
nounRead the Latest from M-W
Examples of private in a Sentence
It was the first time many had seen works from the artist's private collection.
At work he was always very serious, but in his private life, he was actually very funny and relaxed.
Please keep all my personal information private.
He's a very private person.
Recent Examples of private from the Web
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Slave-owning father Meacham said he's discovered a lot about Pate, who was a private in the Confederate Army.
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The deal will eliminate 99 percent of tariffs when fully enacted, said the official, who asked not to be named because the proceedings were private.
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The FCC, which is located at 111 S. Washington Ave. and has 11 fencing strips, offers group and private lessons in foil and épée to children and adults of all ages and skill levels, including people with disabilities and children with autism.
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His second career was in the private sector, initially at Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems and later as the director of business development for Northrop Grumman Tactical Unmanned Systems in Rancho Bernardo.
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On Discord, a chat app for gamers where several right-wing factions congregate in private groups, the news of a new, high-profile feud was cause for celebration.
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Adjacent to Hyde Park, beautiful Kensington Gardens was once the private playground for royals living in Kensington Palace.
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Kim Lee, owner of Forge Coworking, is aiming to open the project in three phases, the first of which will open in August with four private offices and coworking space.
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Immigration and Customs Enforcement in May announced the policy change on private bills.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'private'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of private
Middle English privat, from Anglo-French, from Latin privatus, from past participle of privare to deprive, release, from privus private, individual; probably akin to Latin pro for, in front of — more at for
private
Definition of private
1 archaic : one not in public office
2 obsolete : privacy
3 privates plural : private parts
4a : a person of low rank in any of various organizations (such as a police or fire department)b : an enlisted person of the lowest rank in the marine corps or of one of the two lowest ranks in the army
in private
: not openly or in public
Recent Examples of private from the Web
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A 20-year-old U.S. Army private injured at Buttermilk Mountain last month is the first skier or snowboarder death in Aspen this season.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'private'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of private
15th century
PRIVATE Defined for English Language Learners
private
playDefinition of private for English Language Learners
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: for the use of a single person or group : belonging to one person or group : not public
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: not relating to a person's official position or job
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: not known by the public or by other people
private
Definition of private for English Language Learners
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: a person of the lowest rank in the U.S. or British Army or the U.S. Marines
PRIVATE Defined for Kids
Definition of private for Students
: an enlisted person of the lowest rank in the marine corps or of either of the two lowest ranks in the army
Medical Dictionary
private
playMedical Definition of private
1: of, relating to, or receiving hospital service in which the patient has more privileges than a semiprivate or ward patient
2: of, relating to, or being private practice a private office a private practitioner
Law Dictionary
private
Legal Definition of private
1a : intended for or restricted to the use of a particular person or group or class of persons : not available to the public a private park b : not related to, controlled by, or deriving from the state a private school
2a : owned by or concerning an individual person or entity private land b : not having shares that can be freely traded on the open market a private company
3 : affecting the interests of a particular person, class or group of persons, or locality private legislation private rights
4a : not invested with or engaged in public office or employment a private citizen b : not related to or dependent on an official position private correspondence
5 : not known publicly or carried on in public; especially : intended only for the persons involved
6 : made under private signature a private instrument
Learn More about private
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for private Spanish Central: Translation of private Nglish: Translation of private for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of private for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about private
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