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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Recent Examples of privately
There are about 4,700 spaces, 87% of them privately owned, Weber said.
—
Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 11 Apr. 2026
But, for all the sensationalism that has attended the reporting of this story, nothing that Orbán said privately deviated from his public positions.
—Kapil Komireddi, New Yorker, 10 Apr. 2026
Private equity firms are known for buying companies that are either held privately, or are public companies due to be taken private.
—Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Goldsmith said the agency has been clear privately and publicly that RevMed needs to show daraxonrasib can keep people alive longer, what’s known in the medical community as demonstrating a benefit to overall survival.
—Angelica Peebles, CNBC, 10 Apr. 2026
Badauni served at Akbar’s court while composing a work deeply hostile to his patron; the text could only be privately circulated to a limited audience during Akbar’s lifetime and remained suppressed until after Jahangir’s accession in 1605.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Apr. 2026
The contradiction runs so deep that 62% of those same executives privately concede that the risk of unsanctioned shadow AI is overstated compared to the risk of not leveraging AI at all.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 9 Apr. 2026
And without polling every member privately, my assumption is that his teammates know it.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 9 Apr. 2026
SpaceX, privately funded and operated by the real world’s closest equivalent of Marvel’s Tony Stark, has developed a reputation for putting on a stunning show with every launch.
—Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 8 Apr. 2026
Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 11 Apr. 2026
But, for all the sensationalism that has attended the reporting of this story, nothing that Orbán said privately deviated from his public positions.
—Kapil Komireddi, New Yorker, 10 Apr. 2026
Private equity firms are known for buying companies that are either held privately, or are public companies due to be taken private.
—Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Goldsmith said the agency has been clear privately and publicly that RevMed needs to show daraxonrasib can keep people alive longer, what’s known in the medical community as demonstrating a benefit to overall survival.
—Angelica Peebles, CNBC, 10 Apr. 2026
Badauni served at Akbar’s court while composing a work deeply hostile to his patron; the text could only be privately circulated to a limited audience during Akbar’s lifetime and remained suppressed until after Jahangir’s accession in 1605.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Apr. 2026
The contradiction runs so deep that 62% of those same executives privately concede that the risk of unsanctioned shadow AI is overstated compared to the risk of not leveraging AI at all.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 9 Apr. 2026
And without polling every member privately, my assumption is that his teammates know it.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 9 Apr. 2026
SpaceX, privately funded and operated by the real world’s closest equivalent of Marvel’s Tony Stark, has developed a reputation for putting on a stunning show with every launch.
—Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 8 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for privately
Adverb
-
After their daughter was born, Smith's son and wife secretly sent in an application on his behalf, then surprised him with the certificate.—
Paloma Chavez,
PEOPLE,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Is Arjona secretly playing Wonder Woman?—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
The University of Kansas Hospital Authority settled confidentially with the Nolte family shortly before the trial, with no admission of liability.—
Judy L. Thomas,
Kansas City Star,
15 Apr. 2026
-
SpaceX’s offering could take place as early as June, after the company filed confidentially for an IPO and boosted its target valuation above $2 trillion, according to people familiar with the matter.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
7 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Privately.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/privately. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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