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
Every room includes either a private balcony or terrace that opens up to lush gardens or Coral Sea views.
—
Alli Forde, Travel + Leisure, 6 June 2025
Redstone kept her diagnosis private, sharing it with only a tight circle of relatives, close friends, and advisers including David Ellison, the Skydance head and tech heir, whose company is set to purchase Paramount and the Redstone family’s stake, NYT added.
—Reuters, NBC news, 6 June 2025
First, the government should leave launching things into space to private industry.
—Stephen Clark – Jun 6, ArsTechnica, 6 June 2025
The private club aspect is another major draw, especially for golfers, Short adds.
—Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for private
Alli Forde, Travel + Leisure, 6 June 2025
Redstone kept her diagnosis private, sharing it with only a tight circle of relatives, close friends, and advisers including David Ellison, the Skydance head and tech heir, whose company is set to purchase Paramount and the Redstone family’s stake, NYT added.
—Reuters, NBC news, 6 June 2025
First, the government should leave launching things into space to private industry.
—Stephen Clark – Jun 6, ArsTechnica, 6 June 2025
The private club aspect is another major draw, especially for golfers, Short adds.
—Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for private
Recent Examples of Synonyms for private
Adjective
-
Iran has further increased its stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels, a confidential report by the U.N. nuclear watchdog said Saturday.—
Stephanie Liechtenstein,
Christian Science Monitor,
31 May 2025
-
The Justice Department and Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser are suing the company and several large landlords for allegedly establishing a cartel-like system to drive up rent prices by sharing confidential information.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
30 May 2025
Adjective
-
Syria under Assad is believed to have operated an extensive clandestine nuclear program, which included an undeclared nuclear reactor built by North Korea in eastern Deir el-Zour province.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
5 June 2025
-
The only way to pre-empt detection by these IAEA watchdogs would be for Ukraine to withdraw from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and expel the atomic inspectors, but those moves would amount to trumpeting Kyiv’s clandestine quest to develop a nuclear warhead.—
Kevin Holden Platt,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2025
Adjective
-
The deceptive advertisement asks for personal information, including your full name, license plate number, and the last five digits of the vehicle registration number.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
6 June 2025
-
The posts ask for online payments through cash apps and request personal information, such as your full name and license plate number.—
Angela Rodriguez,
Sacbee.com,
5 June 2025
Adjective
-
There’s no bouncer who will listen to you whisper a secret word, but rather, a key card that scans you in.—
Ella Gonzales,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 June 2025
-
Rumors of secret deals and under-the-table payments have circulated for years.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
4 June 2025
Adjective
-
So is this mystery novel secretly the story of The Gilded Age and is this an undercover crossover?—
Nick Romano,
EW.com,
6 June 2025
-
The missing money controlled by Velazquez was supposed to go toward undercover narcotics operations.—
Charles Rabin,
Miami Herald,
4 June 2025
Adjective
-
Autonomous trams and underground trains operate in many European countries, and a variety of transportation vehicles move autonomously in closed environments such as factories and ports.—
Forrester,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
-
Scores of people were trapped in Madrid’s underground metro system.—
Wired News,
Wired News,
4 June 2025
Adjective
-
However, a driver is not legally obligated to submit to a field sobriety test, pre-arrest test or cheek swab at a DUI checkpoint, according to the Law Offices of Grech and Parker in Riverside. Field sobriety tests are subjective and may not accurately measure sobriety, according to Bee archives.—
Sarah Linn,
Sacbee.com,
5 June 2025
-
Today, the Michelin Guide has become a vaunted yet controversial subjective yardstick by which restaurants are measured.—
Tulasi Srinivas,
The Conversation,
3 June 2025
Adjective
-
Russia's latest barrages followed last weekend's covert Ukrainian operation in which agents used more than 100 drones concealed in large trucks to attack strategic bomber bases deep inside Russia.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
8 June 2025
-
Russia’s attacks on Friday come two days after Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to retaliate against Ukraine for its highly successful Operation Spider’s Web covert strike on Russia on June 1.—
Christopher Tremoglie,
The Washington Examiner,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Private.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/private. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share