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 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
The Broe Group attempted to negotiate a deal with the Illinois International Port District to privatize the Port of Chicago in 2013, but that fell through.
—Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 8 Mar. 2026
The fact that the city won’t outsource services and save money even though trash collection has been successfully privatized in many cities can’t be emphasized enough.
—U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
If economic rationality alone served as the driving reason for enclosure, then privatizing wastes, land considered no good for farming, would have made no sense.
—Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for privatize
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Betty Resch, Sun Sentinel, 8 Mar. 2026
The Broe Group attempted to negotiate a deal with the Illinois International Port District to privatize the Port of Chicago in 2013, but that fell through.
—Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 8 Mar. 2026
The fact that the city won’t outsource services and save money even though trash collection has been successfully privatized in many cities can’t be emphasized enough.
—U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
If economic rationality alone served as the driving reason for enclosure, then privatizing wastes, land considered no good for farming, would have made no sense.
—Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 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 11 Mar. 2026.
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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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