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
During the renovation, there’s a pop-up spa in the Chartreuse du Thil, an 18th-century residence with 11 guest rooms that’s often privatized by families or groups of friends.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 May 2026
For instance, the federal government is seeking private contractors to help with artificial intelligence services for the Department of Defense, operating Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities and potentially privatizing the Transportation Security Administration.
—Steph Tai, The Conversation, 5 May 2026
The Supreme Judicial Court is weighing a community lawsuit filed by the Franklin Park Defenders and Emerald Necklace Conservancy that claims the professional soccer stadium use would illegally privatize public parkland.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 1 May 2026
With SpaceX, Muskism’s pursuit of state symbiosis converged with the privatizing impulses of the early 21st century to find a deeper channel.
—Ben Tarnoff, Big Think, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for privatize
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Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 May 2026
For instance, the federal government is seeking private contractors to help with artificial intelligence services for the Department of Defense, operating Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities and potentially privatizing the Transportation Security Administration.
—Steph Tai, The Conversation, 5 May 2026
The Supreme Judicial Court is weighing a community lawsuit filed by the Franklin Park Defenders and Emerald Necklace Conservancy that claims the professional soccer stadium use would illegally privatize public parkland.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 1 May 2026
With SpaceX, Muskism’s pursuit of state symbiosis converged with the privatizing impulses of the early 21st century to find a deeper channel.
—Ben Tarnoff, Big Think, 23 Apr. 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 14 May. 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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