PRIVATELY Synonyms: 28 Similar and Opposite Words

privately

adverb

Definition of privately

as in secretly

in a manner intended to prevent knowledge or awareness by others she confided to me privately that she was considering divorce

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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 privately He is seen as anti-business — FTSE-100 chairs and chief executives privately express horror at the idea of him as chancellor — and as market-unfriendly because he is viewed as less committed than Reeves to fiscal discipline. — Ian King, CNBC, 15 July 2026 That gap between an anti-fraud rule and one that touches every American’s ability to communicate privately is forcing privacy experts to weigh in on the proposal’s implications. — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 14 July 2026 Scientific journals will only publish research conducted on specimens held in publicly accessible collections; if a fossil is privately held, studies can’t be reliably reproduced, an important standard for verifying scientific findings. — Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 14 July 2026 But if the facility is privately run, the county and state may have more room to challenge the project through zoning, environmental and other local laws. — Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 14 July 2026 Instead, the four-person crew will spend about two weeks testing out rendezvous and docking procedures with prototypes for the two Artemis moon landers, both of which have been privately contracted by NASA. — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 13 July 2026 The losses simply settle on whoever stands beneath them, privately, one household at a time. — Frayda Leibtag, Time, 13 July 2026 The $750 million soccer stadium itself would be privately financed by Chicago Fire owner Joe Mansueto. — Shardaa Gray, CBS News, 13 July 2026 Successful on paper and privately wondering why your life feels so heavy. — Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 13 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for privately

Adverb

The drama The Housewife centers around a New York Times journalist who tracks down a potential Nazi officer living secretly in Queens.

— Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 16 July 2026
Rogan suggested that his guest should hurry up with Iran-war negotiations and get on with the real business of the government, such as finding out whether the government is secretly hoarding extraterrestrial corpses.

— Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 16 July 2026

Definition of secretly

Adverb

SpaceX went public in a record-setting IPO in June, the same month OpenAI confidentially filed for its own IPO.

— Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 13 July 2026
Baidu confidentially filed a listing application for Kunlunxin on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange at the start of the year, though offering details, including size and structure, were undecided then.

— Justina Lee, CNBC, 29 June 2026