Definition of private Private

/pɹajˈvʌt/ - [prayvut] - pri•vate

We found 36 definitions of private from 9 different sources.

What does private mean?

WordNet

Noun Plural: privates
private - an enlisted man of the lowest rank in the Army or Marines; "our prisoner was just a private and knew nothing of value"
		buck private, common soldier
Adjective private, privater, privatest
private - 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"
		public affecting the people or community as a whole; "community leaders"; "community interests"; "the public welfare"
		esoteric confined to and understandable by only an enlightened inner circle; "a compilation of esoteric philosophical theories"
		personal particular to a given individual
		cliquish, snobbish, snobby, clannish, clubby befitting or characteristic of those who incline to social exclusiveness and who rebuff the advances of people considered inferior
		cloistered, reclusive, secluded, sequestered providing privacy or seclusion; "the cloistered academic world of books"; "sat close together in the sequestered pergola"; "sitting under the reclusive calm of a shade tree"; "a secluded romantic spot"
		close marked by fidelity to an original; "a close translation"; "a faithful copy of the portrait"; "a faithful rendering of the observed facts"
		closed-door not open to the public; "a closed-door meeting"
		confidential, secret the level of official classification for documents next above restricted and below secret; available only to persons authorized to see documents so classified
		confidential the level of official classification for documents next above restricted and below secret; available only to persons authorized to see documents so classified
		insular narrowly restricted in outlook or scope; "little sympathy with parochial mentality"; "insular attitudes toward foreigners"
		nonpublic not invested with or related to prominent position or status etc.
		backstage, offstage situated or taking place in the area of a stage not visible to the audience; "offstage noises"
		one-on-one being a system of play in which an individual defensive player guards an individual offensive player; "one-on-one defense"
		privy, secluded, secret (followed by `to') informed about something secret or not generally known; "privy to the details of the conspiracy"
		semiprivate confined to a small number of hospital patients; "semiprivate room"
		tete-a-tete, head-to-head involving two persons; intimately private; "a tete-a-tete supper"; "a head-to-head conversation"
private - concerning things deeply private and personal; "private correspondence"; "private family matters"
		personal particular to a given individual
private - not expressed; "secret (or private) thoughts"
		secret
		inward relating to or existing in the mind or thoughts; "a concern with inward reflections"
private - concerning one person exclusively; "we all have individual cars"; "each room has a private bath"
		individual

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Wiktionary

private (Noun)
The lowest rank of the army.
private (Noun)
A soldier of the rank of private.
private (Noun)
In plural privates A euphemistic term for the genitals.
private (Adjective)
Belonging to, concerning, or accessible only to an individual person or a specific group.
private (Adjective)
Not in governmental office or employment.
private (Adjective)
Not publicly known; not open; secret.
private (Adjective)
Protected from view or disturbance by others; secluded.
private (Adjective)
Intended only for the use of an individual, group, or organization.
private (Adjective)
Not accessible by the public.
private (Adjective)
Not traded by the public.
private (Adjective)
Secretive; reserved.
private (Adjective)
Not shared with another patient.
private (Adjective)
Pertaining to the genitalia.

Webster DictionaryWebster's Unabridged Dictionary 📘

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

OmegaWiki DictionaryOmegaWiki Dictionary Ω

private
Not done in the view of or with the possibility of disturbance by others.
private
The lowest rank of the army.

Chambers DictionaryChamber's 20th Century Dictionary 📕

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.]

Sailor's Word-BookThe Sailor's Word-Book ⛵

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

Military DictionaryMilitary Dictionary and Gazetteer 💥

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.