1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

private

adjective

ˈprī-vət How to pronounce private (audio)
Definition of privatenext
1
as in confidential
not known or meant to be known by the general populace that he is planning to retire is private information until he makes a public announcement

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in clandestine
undertaken or done so as to escape being observed or known by others a private investigation of the organization's activities

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in personal
of, relating to, or belonging to a single person club lockers in which private property may be stored

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of private Big agriculture, private security firms, international drug cartels — all are choked out by Reacher’s big ol’ biceps. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026 Younesi and Burke say that the build of the SuperCinema campus will be financed City National Bank and private investors. — Erik Hayden, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2026 The city's Planning and Zoning committee recommended approving the permit in August, citing adequate space, parking, and other needs to hold the event on private property. — Eric Valadez, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026 The extensive gardens behind the house include terraces notched into the hillside with a lagoon-style pool and a private amphitheater. — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 18 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for private
Recent Examples of Synonyms for private
  1. confidential
  2. clandestine
  3. personal
  4. secret
  5. undercover
  6. personalized
  7. underground
  8. subjective
Adjective
  • Grand jury proceedings are kept confidential to allow people to testify freely without worrying about consequences and so that the subjects of an investigation are not unfairly tainted before the jury can decide whether to file charges against them.
    — Jeffrey Schweers, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The two sides reached a confidential settlement in 2019 without a ruling on the merits of his claim.
    — Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of confidential
Adjective
  • Across Greengrass’ three Bourne movies, the elite assassin turns against the clandestine institution that created him, determined to escape its grip and bring its covert operations to light.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Or that the Apollo moon landing in 1969 was staged, the video shot on some clandestine movie set.
    — Susan Page, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of clandestine
Adjective
  • The announcements came at Meta Connect 2026 as the company continues shifting its wearable strategy toward glasses and its personal AI agent, Muse.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Complimentary fitness classes, one-on-one personal training, nutrition consults, Pilates, breathing classes, and flow yoga are among many other options.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of personal
Adjective
  • Richard Kurin, a fifty-year veteran of the institution, launched a top-secret study of the question in 2011.
    — Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026
  • On August 31, 1940, Leigh and Olivier took a secret road trip to California, joined by screenwriter Garson Kanin and Katharine Hepburn.
    — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of secret
Adjective
  • The growing fear in the community and rumors of undercover ICE agents in churches and church parking lots in other areas of the country has lead pastors to make major changes to their programming.
    — Lauren Costantino September 19, Miami Herald, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Murphy’s gang weren’t really outlaws to begin with — he was imprisoned for defending his daughter from some undercover cops, while Singh (Avi Nash) was arrested for his associations with socialism.
    — Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of undercover
Adjective
  • Scientists analyze mutations in a patient’s tumor and create a personalized therapy designed to train the immune system to recognize and attack the cancer.
    — Sally C. Pipes, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Meetup, Eventbrite and Facebook already help people discover events nearby, and both Meetup and Eventbrite offer personalized recommendations.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of personalized
Adjective
  • Money from that sale will help the company access the funds to restart full underground production at the Ima Mine.
    — Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Industrial operators can deploy them to inspect narrow pipelines, ventilation shafts, sewers, and underground mines for structural flaws.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of underground
Adjective
  • So while nicotine may create a temporary subjective sense of stress relief, current evidence does not support its use to reduce stress, improve mood or treat anxiety or depression.
    — Hasmeena Kathuria, The Conversation, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The site noted that subjective relaxation from passive heat exposure is well-documented, with parasympathetic tone rising as the body cools after a session.
    — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of subjective

Phrases Containing private

Browse Nearby Words

privacy
private
private detective
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Private.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/private. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on private

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about private

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 25
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of the words cracker fly and sale arranged in a triangle with the word fire in the middle
Triple Play Quiz Find the word that pairs with each of the three g...
See All