privatize

verb

pri·​vat·​ize ˈprī-və-ˌtīz 

privatized; privatizing; privatizes

transitive verb

: 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

privatization

ˌprī-və-tə-ˈzā-shən 

noun

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

Democratic lawmakers and the union representing TSA officers have raised concerns that expanding the program, called the Screening Partnership Program, amounts to privatizing a core government security function and could undermine TSA employees. — Arkansas Online, 19 July 2026

After the fall of the Soviet Union, the state privatized many of its enterprises by handing out shares to the people who worked in them. — Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 17 July 2026

However, there is a push to privatize even more airport screening lines with the TSA Gold+ program. — Joey Skladany, Travel + Leisure, 15 July 2026

Corizon had numerous liability claims across the country IDOC’s health care system has been privatized for more than 20 years, and Corizon was its longtime provider. — Darin Oswald, Idaho Statesman, 13 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1948, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for privatize

• advertise
• aggrandize
• alibis
• alkalies
• alkalis
• amortize
• amplifies
• analyse
• analyze
• anywise
• authorize
• butterflies

Legal Definition

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

privatization

ˌprī-və-tə-ˈzā-shən, -ˌtī- 

noun