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

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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

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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

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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 Higher debt can also weaken economic growth by crowding out private investment. — Carolyn Bourdeaux, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026 Clancy was provided preferential treatment when a private psychologist met with her soon after the homicides, in the hospital. — Dr. Susan Hatters Friedman, Hartford Courant, 23 Aug. 2026 The internet enabled market operators and regulators to extend that same logic from private networks for price discovery, to corporate disclosure and financial data. — Cromwell Coulson, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2026 Schedule a private tour or visit during one of the Open Days, which occur every Saturday from the third Saturday in September until July 1. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 23 Aug. 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
  • The National Maternal Mental Health Hotline (1-833-TLC-MAMA) provides free, confidential 24/7 support via phone, text, and chat in English and Spanish.
    — Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026
  • The sequel introduced the Book of Secrets, a classified collection of confidential information passed between presidents.
    — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of confidential
Adjective
  • The clandestine transits have changed the game for the Middle Eastern oil industry.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
  • That same teen sensation left West Africa due to troubles from its dictatorship, and moved to Paris under cover of night and a clandestine air flight.
    — A.D. Amorosi, Variety, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of clandestine
Adjective
  • Cellphones – the kind used to actually talk to people rather than text and post to social media – weren’t mandatory personal equipment yet, though various personalities involved at the time had them.
    — Andy Rose, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
  • The complaint claims the companies' products have been improperly collecting, sharing and selling personal data, like cellphone and vehicle location data.
    — Dennis Valera, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of personal
Adjective
  • The backstory Previously known as Little Munson Island, the island was once a secret retreat frequented by the likes of President Harry Truman.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The idea that casual audiences on TV — people who weren’t gamers willing to grind to 100 percent completion to unlock an esoteric, secret two-minute cutscene ending — was almost unthinkable.
    — Brian Welk, IndieWire, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of secret
Adjective
  • By mid-July, an undercover FBI informant posing as an ISIS facilitator was messaging with her.
    — Lila Dominus, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
  • An undercover officer posing as a UPS driver saw Vargas, 35, outside the building where the packages were being shipped, prosecutors said.
    — Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of undercover
Adjective
  • The deep dive into personalized pricing comes after the FTC recently flagged dynamic pricing—or setting prices based on supply and demand as well as inventory levels and competitor pricing.
    — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Those who are eligible will receive separate, personalized communication with details about the offer, the election process, important dates, and available resources.
    — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of personalized
Adjective
  • Deep underground salt behaves like a slow-moving plastic under the weight of the earth (salt creep).
    — Siddharth Misra, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The Large Hadron Collider at CERN, the world’s largest and most powerful particle accelerator, was powered up in an underground tunnel near Geneva, Switzerland.
    — USA Today, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of underground
Adjective
  • Only factual errors can be corrected, not subjective decisions.
    — Graham Scott, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
  • For example, Allegiance said Montana significantly altered the initial bid, and then gave too much weight to the oral presentation, where BCBS scored higher (the evaluation is subjective and has nothing to do with the contract itself).
    — Bob Herman, STAT, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of subjective

Phrases Containing private

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privacy
private
private detective
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Cite this Entry

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

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about private

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