What does "private" mean?
A soldier of the lowest rank in the army.
Private
/ˈpɹaɪ.vɪt/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A soldier of the lowest rank in the army.
- Grammar: private is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: a secret, absolute, alone, aloof.
- Useful contrasts: public, administrative, administrative act.
- Usage evidence: The private colleges and universities of the United States are autonomous.
How to use "private"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "private" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "private" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "private" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "private" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "private" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "a secret" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "private", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A soldier of the lowest rank in the army.
- 2 Alternative letter-case form of private. alt-of
- 3 an enlisted man of the lowest rank in the Army or Marines wordnet
- 4 A doctor working in privately rather than publicly funded health care.
"In the cities and towns of California, privates are pressuring county governments to close or reduce in size their hospitals and to pay private hospitals for the care of low-income patients. Thus everything is stacked against public hospitals."
- 5 The genitals. euphemistic, in-plural
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 A secret message; a personal unofficial communication. obsolete
"The Count Meloone, a Noble Lord of France, Whose priuate with me of the Dolphines loue, s much more generall, then these lines import."
- 7 Personal interest; particular business. obsolete
"Nor must I be unmindful of my private."
- 8 Privacy; retirement. obsolete
"Go off, I diſcard you: let me enioy my priuate: go off."
- 9 One not invested with a public office. obsolete
"And what haue Kings, that Priuates haue not too,[…]"
- 10 A private lesson. plural-normally
"If you want to learn ballet, consider taking privates."
Verb
- 1 To make something hidden from the public (without deleting it permanently). Internet, transitive
"During these negotiations, however, the Kleins say that Hosseinzadeh issued a copyright takedown for the video — even after it had already been privated."
Adjective
- 1 Belonging or pertaining to an individual person, group of people, or entity that is not the state.
"In some countries, healthcare is provided by both the government and private companies."
- 2 Relating to an individual or group of individuals outside of their official roles; often, sensitive or personal.
"This book is her private journal."
- 3 Not publicly known or divulged; secret, confidential; (of a message) intended only for a specific person or group.
"The identity of the beneficiaries of the trust is private."
- 4 Protected from view or disturbance by others; secluded; not publicly accessible.
"Can we go somewhere more private?"
- 5 Not in governmental office or employment.
"Military secrets should not be entrusted to unreliable private individuals."
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 Secretive; reserved.
"He is a very private person."
- 7 Not traded by the public.
"private equity"
- 8 Of a room in a medical facility, not shared with another patient.
- 9 Financially reliant on fees rather than government funding. UK
- 10 Accessible only to the class itself or instances of it, and not to other classes or even subclasses. not-comparable
- 11 Of the mind or language, not in principle experienceable, knowable, or understandable by others.
Adjective
- 1 not expressed wordnet
- 2 concerning one person exclusively wordnet
- 3 concerning things deeply private and personal wordnet
- 4 confined to particular persons or groups or providing privacy wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"The private colleges and universities of the United States are autonomous."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "private"?
Common synonyms include: a secret, absolute, alone, aloof, anonymous, antisocial.
How do you use "private" in a sentence?
The private colleges and universities of the United States are autonomous.
How do you pronounce "private"?
Pronounced /ˈpɹaɪ.vɪt/.
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.