private

adjective

ˈprī-vət How to pronounce private (audio)
Definition of privatenext
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

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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

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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

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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 With soaring childcare costs pushing young mothers out of the workforce, private investment in early learning is likely to keep drawing attention. — Fernanda Tronco, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026 Unlike other such sites, including the Thermal Club in Southern California and the Concours Club in South Florida, the properties will not include a private racetrack. — Brett Berk, Robb Report, 2 Oct. 2026 Then there are memories of the last time word spread of a plan to use private dollars for a significant upgrade of Crandon Park’s golf course. — Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026 Consider its deep integration with private defense technology juggernaut Anduril Industries. — Harvey Stober, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for private
Recent Examples of Synonyms for private
  1. confidential
  2. clandestine
  3. personal
  4. secret
  5. undercover
  6. personalized
  7. underground
  8. subjective
Adjective
  • Those new details were included in the lengthy confidential investigative report compiled by Cornell and reviewed by ABC News.
    — Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The former couple have also been ordered to attend confidential mediation about custody.
    — Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of confidential
Adjective
  • As Béatrice’s amateur detective work pulls her in deeper, the strands begin to suggest a conspiracy, one marked by mysterious disappearances and the clandestine sway of the Vatican.
    — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Other entries referenced covert access, clandestine technical operations and telecommunications interception.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of clandestine
Adjective
  • The lawsuits, in his eyes, are simply cases of personal misfortune and landlord greed.
    — Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Meta has pressed ahead with its own personal AI agent, launching its Muse agent in early September, modeled on the open-source AI agent OpenClaw.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of personal
Adjective
  • If location isn’t all-important to you, you’ll still be taken in by the property’s palatial restaurant, secret garden above the bustling street, and relaxing pool—undoubtedly one of the longest in Lisbon.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Bridgers first shared the new material in May at a club in New Mexico, kicking off a series of phone-free, secret pop-up shows at smaller venues across the country that culminated with Madison Square Garden in New York on June 4.
    — Christine Werthman, Billboard, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of secret
Adjective
  • Some of us live in Chicago and are well aware of the lore of the Mirage Tavern, a real bar that undercover reporters operated in the 1970s to expose corruption in the city.
    — Jodi S. Cohen, ProPublica, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Investigators also said Ellaboudy advised an undercover FBI confidential human source posing as a representative of a Houthi colonel.
    — Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of undercover
Adjective
  • Retail and e-commerce companies are increasingly using AI to gather customer data and introduce dynamic or personalized pricing, according to the Bank of England.
    — Caleigh Keating, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2026
  • During the three-day gathering, scientists and policymakers from around the world are expected to discuss how AI is impacting education, how experts can foster trust in scientific research, recent breakthroughs in personalized medicine and more.
    — Jared Perlo, NBC news, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of personalized
Adjective
  • Poland also has over 86,000 places of refuge offering a lower level of protection such as basements, underground garages or subway stations, and catering for around 23 million people.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • In 2011, Joe Kay debuted Soulection as a college radio show at Cal State Long Beach, spinning rare B-sides, progressive beats, inventive flips of classic records and soulful underground tracks.
    — Kailyn Brown, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of underground
Adjective
  • Structured demand required manual interpretation of requirements, often influenced by subjective bias.
    — Adam Feiner, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The executive pointed to the trade for Freddy Peralta as one in which subjective ideas, including Peralta’s clubhouse energy, pushed the Mets to value the pitcher more than objective measures.
    — Tim Britton, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of subjective

Phrases Containing private

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privacy
private
private detective
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Cite this Entry

“Private.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/private. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about private

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