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private - Meaning and Examples

Meaning of 'private' (Webster Dictionary)

1 . Private [ a.]
- 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.
- Sequestered from company or observation; appropriated to an individual; secret; secluded; lonely; solitary; as, a private room or apartment; private prayer.
- Not invested with, or engaged in, public office or employment; as, a private citizen; private life.
- Not publicly known; not open; secret; as, a private negotiation; a private understanding.
- Having secret or private knowledge; privy.
2 . Private [ n.]
- A secret message; a personal unofficial communication.
- Personal interest; particular business.
- Privacy; retirement.
- One not invested with a public office.
- A common soldier; a soldier below the grade of a noncommissioned officer.
- The private parts; the genitals.

Meaning of 'private' (Princeton's WordNet)

1 . private [ n]
Meaning (1):
- an enlisted man of the lowest rank in the Army or Marines
Example in sentence:
  • our prisoner was just a private and knew nothing of value
2 . private [ a]
Meaning (2):
- confined to particular persons or groups or providing privacy
Example in sentence:
  • a private club;
  • a private place;
  • a private secretary;
  • private discussions;
  • private lessons;
  • private property;
  • public figures struggle to maintain a private life;
  • the former President is now a private citizen
3 . private [ s]
Meaning (3):
- concerning one person exclusively
Example in sentence:
  • each room has a private bath;
  • we all have individual cars
Meaning (4):
- concerning things deeply private and personal
Example in sentence:
  • intimate correspondence;
  • private family matters
Meaning (5):
- not expressed
Example in sentence:
  • secret (or private) thoughts

Nearby Words:

prial prian priapean priapism priapulacea pricasour price priced priceite priceless

See 'private' also in:

Dictionary.com Google Translator Wikipedia.com Merriam Webster

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