ˈpraɪvɪt adj. & n. --adj. 1 belonging to an
individual; one's
own;
personal (private property). 2
confidential;
not to be disclosed to others (private talks). 3
kept or removed
from public knowledge or
observation. 4 a not
open to
the public. b
for an individual's
exclusive use (private room). 5 (of a place) secluded; affording
privacy. 6 (of a person) not
holding public
office or an
official position. 7 (of
education or
medical treatment) conducted
outside the
State system, at the individual's
expense. --n. 1 a private
soldier. 2 (in pl.) colloq. the genitals. øin private privately; in private
company or
life. private bill a
parliamentary bill affecting an individual or
corporation only. private company
Brit. a company
with restricted
membership and no
issue of shares. private
detective a detective
engaged privately, outside an official
police force. private
enterprise 1 a
business or businesses not
under State
control. 2 individual
initiative. private
eye colloq. a private detective. private
first class US a soldier
ranking above an
ordinary private but
below officers. private
hotel a hotel not obliged to
take all comers. private
house the dwelling-house of a private
person, as
distinct from a
shop, office, or public
building. private
law a law relating to individual persons and private
property. private life life as a private person, not as an official, public performer, etc. private
means income from investments
etc.,
apart from earned income. private
member a member of a
legislative body not holding a
government office. private member's bill a bill introduced by a private member, not
part of government
legislation. private parts the genitals. private
patient Brit. a patient treated by a
doctor other than under the
National Health Service. private
practice Brit. medical practice
that is not part of the National Health Service. private press a
printing establishment operated by a private person or
group not primarily for
profit and usu. on a
small scale. private school 1 Brit. a school supported
wholly by the
payment of fees. 2 US a school not supported
mainly by the State. private
secretary a secretary dealing with the personal and confidential concerns of a
businessman or businesswoman. private
sector the part of the
economy free of
direct State control. private soldier an ordinary soldier other than the officers (and US other than recruits). private
view the
viewing of an
exhibition (esp. of paintings)
before it is open to the public. private
war 1 a feud
between persons or families disregarding the law of
murder etc. 2 hostilities
against members of
another State
without the
sanction of one's own government. private
wrong an
offence against an individual but not against
society as a
whole. øøprivately adv. [ME f. L privatus, orig.
past part. of privare deprive]
