What does privacy mean?

Definitions for privacy
ˈpraɪ və si; Brit. also ˈprɪv ə sipri·va·cy

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word privacy.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. privacy, privateness, seclusionnoun

    the quality of being secluded from the presence or view of others

  2. privacy, privateness, secrecy, concealmentnoun

    the condition of being concealed or hidden

Wiktionary

  1. privacynoun

    The state of being private; the state of not being seen by others.

    I need my privacy, so please mind your own frigging business!

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. Privacynoun

    Etymology: from private.

    Clamours our privacies uneasy make,
    Birds leave their nests disturb’d, and beasts their haunts forsake. Dryden.

    You see Frog is religiously true to his bargain, scorns to hearken to any composition without your privacy. Arbuthnot.

Wikipedia

  1. Privacy

    Privacy (UK: , US: ) is the ability of an individual or group to seclude themselves or information about themselves, and thereby express themselves selectively. Etymology of the word privacy: the word privacy is derived from the Latin word "privatus" which means set apart from what is public, personal and belonging to oneself, and not to the state.The domain of privacy partially overlaps with security, which can include the concepts of appropriate use and protection of information. Privacy may also take the form of bodily integrity. The right not to be subjected to unsanctioned invasions of privacy by the government, corporations, or individuals is part of many countries' privacy laws, and in some cases, constitutions. The concept of universal individual privacy is a modern concept primarily associated with Western culture, particularly British and North American, and remained virtually unknown in some cultures until recent times. Now, most cultures recognize the ability of individuals to withhold certain parts of personal information from wider society. With the rise of technology, the debate regarding privacy has shifted from a bodily sense to a digital sense. As the world has become digital, there have been conflicts regarding the legal right to privacy and where it is applicable. In most countries, the right to a reasonable expectation to digital privacy has been extended from the original right to privacy, and many countries, notably the US, under its agency, the Federal Trade Commission, and those within the European Union (EU), have passed acts that further protect digital privacy from public and private entities and grant additional rights to users of technology. With the rise of the Internet, there has been an increase in the prevalence of social bots, causing political polarization and harassment. Online harassment has also spiked, particularly with teenagers, which has consequently resulted in multiple privacy breaches. Selfie culture, the prominence of networks like Facebook and Instagram, location technology, and the use of advertisements and their tracking methods also pose threats to digital privacy. Through the rise of technology and immensity of the debate regarding privacy, there have been various conceptions of privacy, which include the right to be let alone as defined in "The Right to Privacy", the first U.S. publication discussing privacy as a legal right, to the theory of the privacy paradox, which describes the notion that users' online may say they are concerned about their privacy, but in reality, are not. Along with various understandings of privacy, there are actions that reduce privacy, the most recent classification includes processing of information, sharing information, and invading personal space to get private information, as defined by Daniel J. Solove. Conversely, in order to protect a user's privacy, multiple steps can be taken, specifically through practicing encryption, anonymity, and taking further measures to bolster the security of their data.

ChatGPT

  1. privacy

    Privacy is a state or condition of being free from being observed or disturbed by other people. It pertains to the individual's right to keep their personal matters and information undisclosed or secret, protecting one's personal details, behaviors, communications, or preferences from public view or unauthorized access. It can also relate to issues of confidentiality, anonymity, and data protection within both physical and digital spaces.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Privacynoun

    the state of being in retirement from the company or observation of others; seclusion

  2. Privacynoun

    a place of seclusion from company or observation; retreat; solitude; retirement

  3. Privacynoun

    concealment of what is said or done

  4. Privacynoun

    a private matter; a secret

  5. Privacynoun

    see Privity, 2

  6. Etymology: [See Private.]

Freebase

  1. Privacy

    Privacy is the ability of an individual or group to seclude themselves or information about themselves and thereby reveal themselves selectively. The boundaries and content of what is considered private differ among cultures and individuals, but share basic common themes. Privacy is sometimes related to anonymity, the wish to remain unnoticed or unidentified in the public realm. When something is private to a person, it usually means there is something within them that is considered inherently special or personally sensitive. The degree to which private information is exposed therefore depends on how the public will receive this information, which differs between places and over time. Privacy partially intersects security, including for instance the concepts of appropriate use, as well as protection of information. Privacy may also take the form of bodily integrity. The right not to be subjected to unsanctioned invasion of privacy by the government, corporations or individuals is part of many countries' privacy laws, and in some cases, constitutions. Almost all countries have laws which in some way limit privacy; an example of this would be law concerning taxation, which normally require the sharing of information about personal income or earnings. In some countries individual privacy may conflict with freedom of speech laws and some laws may require public disclosure of information which would be considered private in other countries and cultures. Privacy may be voluntarily sacrificed, normally in exchange for perceived benefits and very often with specific dangers and losses, although this is a very strategic view of human relationships. Academics who are economists, evolutionary theorists, and research psychologists describe revealing privacy as a 'voluntary sacrifice', for instance by willing participants in sweepstakes or competitions. In the business world, a person may volunteer personal details in order to gamble on winning a prize. Personal information which is voluntarily shared but subsequently stolen or misused can lead to identity theft.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Privacy

    prī′va-si, or priv′-, n. state of being private or retired from company or observation: a place of seclusion: retreat: retirement: secrecy.

U.S. National Library of Medicine

  1. Privacy

    The state of being free from intrusion or disturbance in one's private life or affairs. (Random House Unabridged Dictionary, 2d ed, 1993)

Editors Contribution

  1. privacy

    Having our private life respected.

    Their privacy was important to them both.


    Submitted by MaryC on January 10, 2020  


  2. privacy

    The official right for a person to control and manage with personal authority the access to their personal data, information, computers, laptops, apps, server, devices, network, online accounts or handheld device.

    Privacy in life is a legislative right as our life is our privacy, we have freedom of expression and have the right to privacy.


    Submitted by MaryC on April 12, 2020  

Matched Categories

British National Corpus

  1. Nouns Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'privacy' in Nouns Frequency: #2893

How to pronounce privacy?

How to say privacy in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of privacy in Chaldean Numerology is: 4

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of privacy in Pythagorean Numerology is: 4

Examples of privacy in a Sentence

  1. Consumer Union Schwantes:

    The organization noted that nearly 50,000 consumers joined an online petition last month favoring the FCC's privacy rules. And in a nationally representative CR Consumer Voices Survey, 65 percent of Americans said they were either slightly or not at all confident that their personal data is private and not distributed without their knowledge. Florida Sen. Bill Nelson before the vote on Wednesday said the rules put American consumers — each one of us who pay these monthly fees for their broadband service — in the driver's seat of how our personal data is used and shared. Is that too much to ask ? I don't think so. The resolution will still have to pass the House of Representatives, which it is likely to do, and then be signed by President Trump. ISPs have been under the FCC's jurisdiction only since 2015, when they werereclassified as public utilitiesunder something called Title II of the Communications Act. Meantime, web-based companies such as Amazon and Google are regulated by the Federal Trade Commission( FTC), and face less stringent requirements. Republican legislators and lobbyists from cable, telecom, and advertising industries say that difference in regulation is unfair. Sen. John Thune( R-SD) said Wednesday that the FCC had unfairly distorted the marketplace when it imposed unnecessarily onerous privacy restrictions on broadband providers while leaving the rest of the internet under the strong and successful regime at the FTC. The federal government could move authority over ISPs back to the FCC. However, that would be a complex process, and one not favored by advocacy groups, including Consumers Union. Any fondness for the FTC’s approach to privacy is merely support for dramatically weaker privacy protections favored by most corporations, the organization wrote in a letter to senators earlier this week. There is no question that consumers favor the FCC’s current broadband privacy rules. The measure passed by a 50-48 vote along party lines The Senate Thursday. To roll back the rules, Republican senators employed a legislative maneuver that prevents the FCC from adopting ‘ similar ’ rules, even far weaker ones, to protect internet users in the future.

  2. Philip R. Zimmermann:

    If privacy is outlawed, only outlaws will have privacy.

  3. Ayn Rand:

    Civilization is the progress toward a society of privacy. The savage's whole existence is public, ruled by the laws of his tribe. Civilization is the process of setting man free from men.

  4. William F Claire:

    I dream of wayward gulls and all landless lovers, rare moments of winter sun, peace, privacy, for everyone.

  5. Steve Wozniak:

    Look at the privacy side of it, though, mark Zuckerberg buys all the houses around Mark Zuckerberg for privacy and buys extra lots in Hawaii around his for privacy. But oh, our privacy has not been respected and watched over.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

privacy#1#175#10000

Translations for privacy

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"privacy." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2023. Web. 8 Dec. 2023. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/privacy>.

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    easily diffused or spread as from one person to another
    • A. contiguous
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