privateadj/ˈpɹaɪ.vɪt/

• 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.
  • Imagine a country where children do nothing but play until they start compulsory schooling at age seven. Then, without exception, they attend comprehensives until the age of 16.[…]There are no inspectors, no exams until the age of 18, no school league tables, no private tuition industry, no school uniforms.
• 2

  Relating to an individual or group of individuals outside of their official roles; often, sensitive or personal.

  • This book is her private journal.
  • It was a very private thing, they felt, and not to be tossed indiscriminately about.
• 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.
  • The key point in the original article was that the relationship with the woman, named “Colette,” came to light because Aupetit had sent a private letter meant for her to his secretary instead.
• 4

  Protected from view or disturbance by others; secluded; not publicly accessible.

  • Can we go somewhere more private?
  • I invited him to take breakfast with me; he accepted the invitation, and told me he would tell me about himself when we were in a more private place.
• 5

  Not in governmental office or employment.

  • Military secrets should not be entrusted to unreliable private individuals.
• 6

  Secretive; reserved.

  • He is a very private person.
• 7

  businessfinanceNot traded by the public.

  • private equity
  • Private-equity nabobs bristle at being dubbed mere financiers. Piling debt onto companies’ balance-sheets is only a small part of what leveraged buy-outs are about, they insist. Improving the workings of the businesses they take over is just as core to their calling, if not more so. Much of their pleading is public-relations bluster.
• 8

  Of a room in a medical facility, not shared with another patient.

privatenoun/ˈpɹaɪ.vɪt/

• 1

  A soldier of the lowest rank in the army.

• 2

  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.
  • Because you are already moving people with the limitations of what we did in 1982 on the capping of Medicare, you are finding out that the privates are picking up that slack, […]
• 3

  The genitals.

• 4

  obsoleteA secret message; a personal unofficial communication.

  • The Count Meloone, a Noble Lord of France, Whose priuate with me of the Dolphines loue, s much more generall, then these lines import.
• 5

  obsoletePersonal interest; particular business.

  • Nor must I be unmindful of my private.
• 6

  obsoletePrivacy; retirement.

  • Go off, I diſcard you: let me enioy my priuate: go off.
• 7

  obsoleteOne not invested with a public office.

  • And what haue Kings, that Priuates haue not too,[…]
• 8

  A private lesson.

  • If you want to learn ballet, consider taking privates.

privateverb/ˈpɹaɪ.vɪt/

• 1

  To make something hidden from the public (without deleting it permanently).

  • During these negotiations, however, the Kleins say that Hosseinzadeh issued a copyright takedown for the video — even after it had already been privated.
  • Shay has also since briefly returned to social media, making a quick post on Instagram. His account was privated following his scandal in February and his Twitter remains inactive.