• IPA: /ˈpɹaɪvɪt/, /ˈpɹaɪvət/

private

1. Belonging to, concerning, or accessible only to an individual person or a specific group.

   Her address is private; you can't have it.

   private papers

2. Not accessible by the public.

   private property

3. Not in governmental office or employment.

   He quit public life, living quietly as a private citizen.

4. Not publicly known; not open; secret.

   The identity of the beneficiaries of the trust is private.

5. Protected from view or disturbance by others; secluded.

   Can we go somewhere more private?

6. Not traded by the public.

   private corporation

7. Secretive; reserved.

   He is a very private person.

8. (US, of a room in a medical facility) Not shared with another patient.
9. (not comparable, object-oriented programming) Accessible only to the class itself or instances of it, and not to other classes or even subclasses.

• (done in the view of others): secluded
• (intended only for one's own use): personal
• (not accessible by the public):
• (not publicly known) secret

• public

• French: personnel, personnelle, privé
• German: privat
• Italian: personale, riservato
• Portuguese: pessoal, privado
• Russian: ча́стный
• Spanish: privado

• French: privé, privée
• German: privat
• Italian: privato, privata, riservato
• Portuguese: particular
• Russian: ча́стный
• Spanish: privado, privada

private (plural privates)

1. A soldier of the lowest rank in the army.
2. A doctor working in privately rather than publicly funded health care.
   • 1973, Health/PAC Bulletin (issues 48-67, page 2)

     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.

   • 1993, United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on the Judiciary. Subcommittee on Immigration and Refugee Affairs, The implementation of employer sanctions: Hearings

     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. (euphemism, in the plural) The genitals.
4. (obsolete) A secret message; a personal unofficial communication.
5. (obsolete) Personal interest; particular business.
   • 1611, Ben Jonson, Catiline His Conspiracy

     Nor must I be unmindful of my private.

6. (obsolete) Privacy; retirement.
   • c. 1601–1602, William Shakespeare, “Twelfe Night, or VVhat You VVill”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act III, scene iv]:

     Go off; I discard you; let me enjoy my private.

7. (obsolete) One not invested with a public office.
   • 1599, William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act IV, scene i]:

     What have kings, that privates have not too?

8. (usually, in the plural) A private lesson.

   If you want to learn ballet, consider taking privates.

• (genitals) bits, private parts

• Italian: semplice, soldato semplice, appuntato, ascaro
• Portuguese: soldado, soldado raso
• Russian: рядово́й
• Spanish: cabo, soldado raso

• Italian: parti intime

private (plural privates)

1. (military) altcaps en