Definitions for private
ˈpraɪ vɪtpri·vate

Princeton's WordNet(2.67 / 3 votes)Rate this definition:

1. private, buck private, common soldieradjective

   an enlisted man of the lowest rank in the Army or Marines

   "our prisoner was just a private and knew nothing of value"

2. privateadjective

   confined to particular persons or groups or providing privacy

   "a private place"; "private discussions"; "private lessons"; "a private club"; "a private secretary"; "private property"; "the former President is now a private citizen"; "public figures struggle to maintain a private life"

3. privateadjective

   concerning things deeply private and personal

   "private correspondence"; "private family matters"

4. individual(a), privateadjective

   concerning one person exclusively

   "we all have individual cars"; "each room has a private bath"

5. secret, privateadjective

   not expressed

   "secret (or private) thoughts"

Wiktionary(1.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. privatenoun

   The lowest rank of the army.

2. privatenoun

   A soldier of the rank of private.

3. privatenoun

   (in plural privates) A euphemistic term for the genitals.

4. privateadjective

   Belonging to, concerning, or accessible only to an individual person or a specific group.

   Her address is private, you can't have it.

5. privateadjective

   Not in governmental office or employment.

   He quit public life, living quietly as a private citizen.

6. privateadjective

   Not publicly known; not open; secret.

   The identity of the beneficiaries of the trust is private.

7. privateadjective

   Protected from view or disturbance by others; secluded.

   Can we go someplace more private?

8. privateadjective

   Intended only for the use of an individual, group, or organization.

   private papers

9. privateadjective

   Not accessible by the public.

   private property.

10. privateadjective

    Not traded by the public.

    private corporation.

11. privateadjective

    Secretive; reserved.

    He is a very private person.

12. privateadjective

    Not shared with another patient.

13. privateadjective

    Pertaining to the genitalia.

    private parts.

14. Etymology: From privatus, perfect passive participle of privo, from privus.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. PRIVATEadjective

   Etymology: privatus, Lat.

   1. Not open; secret.

   You shall go with me;
   I have some private schooling for you both. William Shakespeare.

   Fancy retires
   Into her private cell, when nature rests. John Milton.

   The harmless freedom, and the private friend. Anon.

   2. Alone; not accompanied.3. Being upon the same terms with the rest of the community; particular: opposed to publick.

   When publick consent of the whole hath established any thing, every man’s judgment, being thereunto compared, were not private, howsoever his calling be to some kind of publick charge; so that of peace and quietness there is not any way possible, unless the probable voice of every intire society or body politic overrule all private of like nature in the same body. Richard Hooker, Preface.

   He sues
   To let him breathe between the heav’ns and earth,
   A private man in Athens. William Shakespeare, Ant. and Cleop.

   What infinite heartease must kings neglect,
   That private men enjoy? and what have kings,
   That private have not too, save ceremony? William Shakespeare.

   Peter was but a private man, and not to be any way compared with the dukes of his house. Henry Peacham, of Antiquities.

   The first principles of christian religion should not be farced with school points and private tenets. Robert Sanderson.

   Dare you,
   A private man presume to love a queen. Dryden.

   4. Particular; not relating to the publick.

   My end being private, I have not expressed my conceptions in the language of the schools. Digby.

   5. In Private. Secretly; not publickly; not openly.

   In private grieve, but with a careless scorn;
   In publick seem to triumph, not to mourn. George Granville.

2. Privatenoun

   A secret message.

   His private with me of the dauphin’s love,
   Is much more general than these lines import. William Shakespeare.

Webster Dictionary(4.00 / 3 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Privateadjective

   belonging to, or concerning, an individual person, company, or interest; peculiar to one's self; unconnected with others; personal; one's own; not public; not general; separate; as, a man's private opinion; private property; a private purse; private expenses or interests; a private secretary

2. Privateadjective

   sequestered from company or observation; appropriated to an individual; secret; secluded; lonely; solitary; as, a private room or apartment; private prayer

3. Privateadjective

   not invested with, or engaged in, public office or employment; as, a private citizen; private life

4. Privateadjective

   not publicly known; not open; secret; as, a private negotiation; a private understanding

5. Privateadjective

   having secret or private knowledge; privy

6. Privatenoun

   a secret message; a personal unofficial communication

7. Privatenoun

   personal interest; particular business

8. Privatenoun

   privacy; retirement

9. Privatenoun

   one not invested with a public office

10. Privatenoun

    a common soldier; a soldier below the grade of a noncommissioned officer

11. Privatenoun

    the private parts; the genitals

12. Etymology: [L. privatus apart from the state, peculiar to an individual, private, properly p. p. of privare to bereave, deprive, originally, to separate, fr. privus single, private, perhaps originally, put forward (hence, alone, single) and akin to prae before. See Prior, a., and cf. Deprive, Privy, a.]

Freebase(3.00 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Private

   A private is a soldier of the lowest military rank. In modern military parlance, 'private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Private

   prī′vāt, adj. apart from the state: not invested with public office: peculiar to one's self: belonging to an individual person or company: not public: retired from observation: secret: not publicly known: not holding a commission.—n. a common soldier: (Shak.) a person without public office, a secret message, privacy, retirement.—adv. Prī′vately.—n. Prī′vateness.—Private act, &c., an act, &c., which deals with the concerns of private persons—opp. to General act, &c.; Private judgment, the judgment of an individual, esp. on the meaning of a passage or doctrine of Scripture, as distinguished from the interpretation of the church; Private law, that part of law which deals with the rights and duties of persons quâ individuals; Private legislation, legislation affecting the interests of private persons; Private parts, the sexual organs; Private property, rights, the property, rights of individual persons, as distinguished from that which belongs to a public body and is devoted to public use; Private trust, a trust managed in the interest of private parties; Private wrong, an injury done to an individual in his private capacity.—In private, privately, in secret; The private (obs.), the private life of individuals. [L. privatus, pa.p. of privāre, to separate—privus, single.]

Dictionary of Nautical Terms(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. private

   The proper designation of a soldier serving in the ranks of the army, holding no special position.

Military Dictionary and Gazetteer(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. private

   The title applied in the British army to a common soldier of the cavalry and infantry; the corresponding rank in the artillery being gunner or driver, and in the engineers, the sapper. A private in the cavalry is sometimes called a trooper. In the U. S. army all the soldiers who are below the grade of non-commissioned officers are called privates.

Editors Contribution(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. private

   Belonging to a person and able to view, see or access with their consent.

   Many people have private social media accounts as they value their privacy.

   
   

   Submitted by MaryC on April 3, 2020  

2. ---

   private

   Belonging to a specific person or people.

   If we own a property it is private and not meant to be accessed by anyone unless they have permission.

   
   

   Submitted by MaryC on January 10, 2020  

3. ---

   private

   Relating to a person and for agreement or discussion direct with this specific person.

   His news is private and is just for discussion with those he chooses.

   
   

   Submitted by MaryC on January 10, 2020  

4. ---

   private

   To ensure authorized access.

   The personal data of employees is private.

   
   

   Submitted by MaryC on March 16, 2020  

Suggested Resources(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. private

   Song lyrics by private -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by private on the Lyrics.com website.

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'private' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #536

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'private' in Written Corpus Frequency: #1081

3. Adjectives Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'private' in Adjectives Frequency: #63

How to pronounce private?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say private in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of private in Chaldean Numerology is: 9

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of private in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1

Examples of private in a Sentence

1. Scott Ruesterholz:

   With the level of investment and focus on space coming from the private and public sectors, I’m excited about what mysteries of the universe we can unlock in coming years.

2. Sandeep Shastri:

   In an age where you have a lot of private players providing public service, you need regulatory mechanisms in place from the state, uber should not become a mask to hide the failure of the government and other oversight mechanisms.

3. Hillary Clinton:

   I'm back to being a private citizen, and part of the resistance.

4. Luigi Barzini:

   Public and private food in America has become eatable, here and there extremely good. Only the fried potatoes go unchanged, as deadly as before.

5. Heidi Snow:

   We have 250 grief mentors from air disasters dating back to 1958 -- private, military and commercial air disasters, this gives people an opportunity to share what they went through with somebody else and also provide hope for them.

Popularity rank by frequency of use