English Explanatory Dictionary

private

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Belonging or pertaining to an individual person, group of people, or entity that is not the state.
  2. Relating to an individual or group of individuals outside of their official roles; often, sensitive or personal.
  3. Not publicly known or divulged; secret, confidential; (of a message) intended only for a specific person or group.
  4. Protected from view or disturbance by others; secluded; not publicly accessible.
  5. Not in governmental office or employment.
  6. Secretive; reserved.
  7. Not traded by the public.
  8. Of a room in a medical facility, not shared with another patient.
  9. Financially reliant on fees rather than government funding.
  10. Accessible only to the class itself or instances of it, and not to other classes or even subclasses.
  11. Of the mind or language, not in principle experienceable, knowable, or understandable by others.
noun
  1. A soldier of the lowest rank in the army.
  2. A doctor working in privately rather than publicly funded health care.
  3. The genitals.
  4. A secret message; a personal unofficial communication.
  5. Personal interest; particular business.
  6. Privacy; retirement.
  7. One not invested with a public office.
  8. A private lesson.
verb
  1. To make something hidden from the public (without deleting it permanently).
noun
  1. Alternative letter-case form of private.

Pronunciation

/ˈpɹaɪ.vɪt/ /ˈpɹaɪ.vət/ [ˈpʰɹaɪ̯vɪt] [ˈpɹəjvət] [ˈpʰɹɑɪ̯vɪt] [ˈpʰɹɑjvət] [ˈpʰɹaɪ̯vət̞] [ˈpʰɹəɪ̯və(ʔ)] [ˈpʰɾəɪ̯və(ʔ)] [ˈpʰɹo̞ɪ̯və(ʔ)] [ˈpʰɾo̞ɪ̯və(ʔ)] /praj.veʈ/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-private.wav en-us-private.ogg

Word forms

private more private most private privates privating privated

Etymology

From Middle English privat(e) (“individual, exclusive, private”), from Latin prīvātus (“bereaved, deprived, set apart from, release”), perfect passive participle of prīvō (“to bereave, deprive, release”) (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix) for more), from prīvus (“private, one's own, proper”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *per; compare prime, prior, pristine. Doublet of privy.

Synonyms

bits private parts

Antonyms

public published

Derived words

buck private in private nonprivate permanent private hall privacy private ambulance private area private attorney general private bank private banking private benefits private bill private branch exchange private brand private candidate private car private cost private credit private detective private dick private docent private enterprise private enterprise number private equity privateer private eye private-eye private first class private good private international law private investigator private investment banker private joke private judgment private key private label private language private language argument private language problem private language thesis private law private life private limited liability company private means private member's bill private message private military contractor privateness private notice question private parts private property private property anarchism private property anarchist private school private-sector private sector private ship private shop private siding private stock
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