private

PRY-vit/ˈpɹaɪ.vɪt/

19 meanings of private

1
owned (not state)adjective
Owned, run, or paid for by people, companies, or groups, not by the government.
Like a backpack that belongs to you, not to the whole school.
The land is private and belongs to a local family.
They built the road with private money, not public funds.
UsageSay private school or private property.
Oppositepublic, state, governmental
Note
2
adjective
Only for one person or group, where others cannot see or come in.
Like a hidden corner where no one can watch you.
They found a private spot behind the trees for the picnic.
The cabin felt private, far from any neighbors.
Oppositepublic, shared, communal, open
3
adjective
Kept secret, or meant only for one person or a chosen group.
Like a secret you tell only your best friend.
She kept her diary private and showed it to no one.
He sent a private message to just one friend.
UsageSay in private or keep it private.
Similarconfidential, secret, undisclosed, personal
Oppositepublic, open
4
adjective
About a person's own life, not their job or public duties.
Like things you only tell family, not strangers.
She never discusses her private life with reporters.
Those are private matters that have nothing to do with his work.
Similarpersonal, intimate
Oppositepublic, official
5
adjective
Acting as a single person, or done for your own use, not for business or work.
We bought our used car from a private seller instead of a dealer.
The music app is free for private use, but stores that play it must pay.
UsageSay for private use or a private seller.
Similarpersonal
Oppositecommercial
Note
6
army ranknouncountable
A soldier who holds the lowest rank in the army.
Like the newest member of a team, at the bottom of the order.
The private saluted his commanding officer.
Two privates were assigned to guard the gate overnight.
UsageWrite Private with a capital before a name.
7
adjective
Not working for the government or holding public office.
After leaving office, she returned to life as a private citizen.
As a private individual, he had no special powers.
UsageSay a private citizen.
Similarordinary
Oppositepublic, official
8
not on marketadjective
Not bought and sold by the public on the stock market.
Like a club you can only join by invitation, not open to everyone.
The company stayed private and never sold shares to the public.
Many small firms are private, owned by just a few people.
UsageA company can go private or stay private.
Similarunlisted
Oppositepublic, listed
Note
9
one-to-one lessonnouncountable
A lesson for just one student, not a whole class.
Like getting all the teacher's attention just for you.
I booked a private with the tennis coach for Saturday.
She teaches piano and gives privates on weekends.
UsageSay take privates, or private lessons.
Note

Less common meanings

10
adjective
Keeping your thoughts and feelings to yourself.
Like someone who keeps a closed door on their feelings.
He's a very private person and rarely talks about his feelings.
My grandmother was a private woman who kept her worries to herself.
Similarreserved, reticent, retiring, secretive, introverted
Oppositeopen, outgoing, forthcoming, extroverted
11
genitalsnouncolloquialeuphemisticplural
A polite word for the sex organs, always used in the plural as privates.
He quickly covered his privates with a towel.
The boy fell on the bar and hurt his privates.
UsageSay his privates or her privates.
Similargenitals, genitalia, crotch
Note
12
hide onlineverbtransitive
To hide something online from the public while still keeping it saved.
She decided to private her old photos before the interview.
He privated the video after it got too much attention.
UsageWrite privated. You can also set it to private.
Similarhide
Note
13
class-only (code)adjective
In computer programs, able to be used only inside its own class, not from outside.
Like a diary only you can open, kept away from everyone else.
He made the variable private so other parts of the code could not change it.
A private method can only be called from inside its own class.
Oppositepublic
Note
14
nouncountable
A doctor, hospital, or other provider in paid private health care, not the public system.
Note
15
nounobsolete
The state of being alone, away from other people.
Go off, I diſcard you: let me enioy my priuate: go off.
c. 1601, William Shakespeare, “Twelfe Night, or What You Will”Here, priuate means privacy, being left alone away from others.
Note
16
inner (mind)adjective
Belonging only to one person's mind, so no one else can ever feel or know it.
Like a feeling no one else can ever climb inside your head to share.
Your pain is private. Only you can truly feel it.
Your pain is private, and no one else can ever truly feel it.
Oppositepublic
Note
17
nounobsolete
A normal person who does not hold any government job or office.
Note
18
nounobsolete
A secret message sent to someone in a personal, unofficial way.
The Count Meloone, a Noble Lord of France, Whose priuate with me of the Dolphines loue, s much more generall, then these lines import.
c. 1596, William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Iohn”Here, priuate means a private message, sent personally rather than officially.
Note
19
nounobsolete
A person's own personal concern or particular business.
Nor must I be unmindful of my private.
1611, Ben[jamin] Jonson, Catiline His ConspiracyHere, private means one's own personal interest or business.
Note

Practice

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Origin

It comes from Latin privatus, meaning set apart or belonging to oneself, from privus (one's own). It reached English through Middle English privat.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 4 facts

Private derives from Latin privatus. en.wiktionary.org
Latin privatus means set apart or belonging to oneself. en.wikipedia.org
Privatus derives ultimately from privus, meaning one's own. en.wiktionary.org
The modern English word continues Middle English privat. en.wiktionary.org