• (British) IPA: /pɹaɪvəˈtɪə/
• (America) IPA: /ˌpɹaɪvəˈtɪəɹ/

privateer (plural privateers)

1. (historical) A privately owned warship that had official sanction to attack enemy ships and take possession of their cargo. [from 17th c.]
2. (historical) An officer or any other member of the crew of such a ship. [from 17th c.]
   • 18, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter 25, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume (please specify ), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, OCLC 1069526323 ↗:

     [from 17th c.]
3. An advocate or beneficiary of privatization of a government service or activity.
4. (motor racing, chiefly North America) A private individual entrant into a race or competition who does not have the backing of a large, professional team. [from 20th c.]

• German: Kaperschiff
• Italian: nave corsara
• Portuguese: navio corsário
• Spanish: buque corsario

• French: corsaire
• German: Freibeuter
• Italian: corsaro
• Portuguese: corsário
• Spanish: corsario

privateer (privateers, present participle privateering; past and past participle privateered)

1. To function under official sanction permitting attacks on enemy shipping and seizing ship and cargo; to engage in government-sponsored piracy. [from 17th c.]
2. To advocate or benefit from privatization of government services.