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
The videos posted online appeared to show a prominent lawyer reporting corruption on the part of the mayor of Ljubljana, a close ally of Golob, and a former energy executive claiming that the prime minister was willing to privatize a key power company.
—Jan Bratanic Bloomberg, Arkansas Online, 22 Mar. 2026
Under the border agreement, the firms involved can earn more than $1 billion over a decade, the human rights group said, accusing the government of undermining national sovereignty by privatizing state responsibilities.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 17 Mar. 2026
Chicago inked a multi-decade deal in 2008 to privatize parking meters.
—Cheryl Winokur Munk, CNBC, 14 Mar. 2026
The referendum contains a ban on hotels and lodging at the beach, which guarantees that, despite the opposition’s assertions, the beach will never be privatized.
—Betty Resch, Sun Sentinel, 8 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for privatize
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Jan Bratanic Bloomberg, Arkansas Online, 22 Mar. 2026
Under the border agreement, the firms involved can earn more than $1 billion over a decade, the human rights group said, accusing the government of undermining national sovereignty by privatizing state responsibilities.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 17 Mar. 2026
Chicago inked a multi-decade deal in 2008 to privatize parking meters.
—Cheryl Winokur Munk, CNBC, 14 Mar. 2026
The referendum contains a ban on hotels and lodging at the beach, which guarantees that, despite the opposition’s assertions, the beach will never be privatized.
—Betty Resch, Sun Sentinel, 8 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for privatize
Cite this Entry
“Privatize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/privatize. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLegal 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
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