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

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Recent Examples of privately And despite the confrontations, Kotzmacher said rally supporters received more positive feedback, privately. — Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 5 Aug. 2026 Sources say Newcastle are now privately insisting the 21-year-old will not leave. — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 5 Aug. 2026 This was not one of those elopements where the couple secretly lets a few people in on the secret — this was done entirely privately, with both families completely in the dark. — Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 4 Aug. 2026 Since publishing Big Little Lies in 2014, Moriarty has written four novels, produced the Emmy-winning miniseries that adapted Lies for HBO, and privately wrote a whole sequel of sorts solely to supply material for the show's second season. — Colin Dwyer, NPR, 4 Aug. 2026 Regal Cinemas/Regal Entertainment Group is owned privately by Cineworld. — Marvin Hurst, CBS News, 4 Aug. 2026 His funeral service will be held privately Saturday in Martinsville, Virginia. — Charlotte Observer, 3 Aug. 2026 There is, instead, a collective assumption that this is a personal matter, to be handled privately, with whatever resources the individual woman can locate and afford on her own time. — Matt Emma, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2026 Nearly 50% of private flyers say poor service and delays by the airlines are an impetus to fly privately. — Doug Gollan, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for privately

Adverb

In the criminal case, federal prosecutors confirmed — and the defense admitted — that Hart secretly recorded minors through spyware installed on laptop computers and directed children overseas to produce child pornography.

— Sean Emery, Oc Register, 7 Aug. 2026
The suit alleges that his relatives secretly shifted away assets and dissolved a three-decades-old sister company without his permission, stripping him of economic benefits.

— Kirk Ogunrinde, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of secretly

Adverb

Anthropic and OpenAI have both filed with the SEC confidentially and are expected to list within the next year.

— Kate Rooney, CNBC, 3 Aug. 2026
OpenAI has confidentially filed for its own IPO, while Anthropic, Databricks and Cohere are widely expected to follow.

— Natalie Hoberman, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026