private
private — adjective
1. belonging to or meant for one specific person or a limited group, not open to ev
belonging to or meant for one specific person or a limited group, not open to everyone else
The hotel has a private beach that only guests can use.
collocation: private beach / private room / private property
Liang keeps a private diary that no one else is allowed to read.
The company held a private meeting for board members only.
collocation: private meeting
That field is private land — please stay on the public path.
collocation: private land / private property
- private beach
- private room
- private property
- private meeting
- private land
- private collection
- private entrance
- personal
emphasises belonging to a particular individual rather than a group; 'private' often implies exclusion of others
- exclusive
suggests high status or privilege; 'exclusive club' implies wealth or invitation, whereas 'private club' merely states restricted access
- restricted
sounds more formal and rule-based; 'restricted area' suggests official limits, while 'private area' suggests personal ownership
- public
open or accessible to everyone
Usage Note
Commonly used with nouns describing places, spaces, and possessions: private room, private garden, private collection, private file.
Common Mistakes
2. connected with your personal relationships, home, or family matters rather than
connected with your personal relationships, home, or family matters rather than with your job or official position
The manager asked about Hamza's private life, which made him uncomfortable.
collocation: private life
Putri keeps her private and work emails in separate accounts.
The employment contract states that Lin's employer cannot ask about his medical history or private family matters.
collocation: private affairs / private family matters
During the interview, Tendai politely refused to answer private questions.
Sivan tries not to discuss her private relationships with colleagues.
collocation: private relationships
- private life
- private affairs
- private matters
- private business
- private relationships
- private correspondence
- professional
relating to work or career
- work-related
connected to one's job or official duties
Usage Note
Frequently paired with nouns like life, affairs, matters, business, and relationships. This sense contrasts with professional or official matters — not with 'public' as in sense 1.
Common Mistakes
3. not shared, discussed, or revealed to other people because you want to keep the
not shared, discussed, or revealed to other people because you want to keep the information to yourself
Isabela shared a private thought with her closest friend.
collocation: private thought / private opinion
The details of the negotiation will remain private between the two lawyers.
pattern: remain + private
Reuben held a private opinion about the plan but stayed silent during the meeting.
The letter contained her private feelings about the end of the relationship.
collocation: private feelings
- private thoughts
- private opinion
- private feelings
- private information
- remain private
- keep something private
- secret
stronger and more dramatic; 'secret' implies deliberate concealment, while 'private' suggests personal boundaries
- confidential
formal, often used in official or legal contexts; 'confidential information' is protected by rules, whereas 'private thoughts' are protected by personal choice
- intimate
suggests deep personal closeness; 'intimate feelings' imply emotional depth that 'private feelings' may not
Usage Note
Subject is usually a person or a piece of information. Common with verbs like keep, remain, stay, hold, share. Distinct from sense 1 (NOT PUBLIC) because this sense focuses on keeping information hidden rather than restricting physical access.
Common Mistakes
4. describing a place that is quiet, peaceful, and free from the presence or attent
describing a place that is quiet, peaceful, and free from the presence or attention of other people
The café has a private corner where Tamar can study without noise.
collocation: private corner / private spot
We found a private spot on the beach away from the crowds.
The hospital offered a private room for the family to speak with the doctor.
collocation: private room
Lauren looked for a private place to make the phone call.
collocation: private place
- private corner
- private spot
- private room
- private place
- private space
- private area
- secluded
suggests being physically hidden or far from others; 'a secluded cabin' implies isolation, while 'a private corner' could be within a busy room
- quiet
focuses on the absence of noise rather than the absence of people; 'a quiet room' may still have other occupants
- intimate
used for small, cozy settings; 'an intimate restaurant' suggests a small space with few tables
Usage Note
Modifier for location nouns: spot, corner, room, place, area, space. Unlike sense 1 (NOT PUBLIC), this sense describes the quality of the space itself — quiet and undisturbed — rather than who owns or controls it.
5. tending to keep your personal thoughts, emotions, and experiences to yourself ra
tending to keep your personal thoughts, emotions, and experiences to yourself rather than sharing them with others
Vivek is a very private person who never talks about his family.
collocation: private person
Even after years of friendship, Théo remained private about his childhood.
pattern: remain private about [topic]
Igor is a very private person and never told his colleagues that he won the award.
collocation: private person
Private by nature, Putri declined to answer questions about her past.
pattern: private by nature
- private person
- private individual
- private about something
- remain private
- quite private
- very private
- reserved
the closest synonym; 'reserved' slightly emphasises behaviour (holding back), while 'private' emphasises the wish not to share
- withdrawn
has a more negative tone, suggesting shyness or avoidance of social contact; 'private' is more neutral
- reticent
more formal; specifically describes reluctance to speak about personal matters
- open
willing to share personal information freely
- outgoing
sociable and comfortable interacting with others
- communicative
ready to talk and share thoughts
Usage Note
Describes a personality trait, not a temporary state. Use with be, remain, stay. The pattern 'private about + topic' specifies what the person keeps to themselves. Collocates strongly with person, man, woman, individual.
Common Mistakes
6. describing an action that happens without others watching, listening, or joining
describing an action that happens without others watching, listening, or joining in — used in the adverbial phrase 'in private' to describe how something is done, not where it takes place
After the presentation, Akiko asked to speak with her manager in private about the project delays.
phrase: in private — used adverbially
The couple discussed their disagreement in private rather than arguing in front of guests.
Teachers should meet with students in private when talking about their marks.
Ziad asked to see the manager in private to report the problem.
phrase: ask to see someone in private
- in private
- speak in private
- talk in private
- meet in private
- discuss something in private
- privately
the single-word adverb equivalent; 'speak privately' and 'speak in private' are interchangeable
- confidentially
implies that what is said is secret or sensitive, not just that others are absent
Usage Note
Almost always used in the fixed phrase 'in private', which functions adverbially (like 'in public' but with the opposite meaning). Does NOT appear as a standalone adjective before a noun — you would never say 'a private conversation occurred' for this sense; instead say 'the conversation occurred in private'.
Common Mistakes
7. describing businesses, schools, hospitals, and other services that are run by no
describing businesses, schools, hospitals, and other services that are run by non-government bodies or individuals, not as part of the public system
The city has both public and private schools for families to choose from.
collocation: private school / public vs private
After waiting six months at the public clinic, Meera chose a private hospital for her knee surgery.
collocation: private hospital
Hamza works for a private company that builds earthquake-resistant houses.
collocation: private company
Putri's children attend a private university in Jakarta.
collocation: private university
The government sold the state railway to a private investor last year.
collocation: private investor
- private sector
- private company
- private school
- private healthcare
- private university
- private investor
- private ownership
- private enterprise
- non-government
descriptive but less common; 'non-government organisation' (NGO) is the standard collocation for charities, not businesses
- independent
often used for schools that are not state-funded; 'independent school' is common in British English
- privatised
describes a service or company that was previously owned by the state and later sold to private owners
- public
owned, funded, or operated by the government
- state-owned
specifically describes industries or enterprises owned by the government
Usage Note
Used as the standard antonym of public in discussions of industry, services, and institutions. Common in economics and politics: private sector, private enterprise, private ownership. Does NOT describe personal matters (see sense 2) — the word 'private' in this sense refers to ownership status.
Common Mistakes
in private
idiomaway from other people; without anyone else listening or watching
After the team meeting, the supervisor asked Takeshi to stay behind so they could talk in private about his promotion chances.
Liang and his wife discussed the job offer in private for two hours before calling the recruiter back.
private — noun
1. a member of the armed forces at the most junior grade who serves without command
a member of the armed forces at the most junior grade who serves without command responsibilities over other soldiers
The private was ordered to clean the barracks before the inspection.
Private Tendai received a medal for bravery during the rescue mission.
usage note: when used before a name, it is a title and is capitalised
Both privates and officers attended the ceremony on the parade ground.
Reuben served as a private in the army for two years before becoming a corporal.
collocation: serve as a private
The general stopped to shake hands with each private after the long march.
- serve as a private
- Private + surname (title)
- join as a private
- rise from private to officer
- recruit
a new soldier who has just joined; not a rank but a stage — all privates may be recruits early in their service
- enlisted soldier
a broader term that includes privates and all non-officer ranks together
Usage Note
When used as a title before a surname — e.g. 'Private Smith' — it is capitalised. As a common noun ('a private', 'the privates') it is not. The equivalent in the US Air Force is 'airman basic' and in the US Navy 'seaman recruit'.
Common Mistakes
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: adjective/1
Private, personal, exclusive, and confidential all describe things that are not available or known to everyone, but they differ in focus. Private emphasises restricted access — a private beach is for guests only, not the general public. Personal relates to an individual's identity or intimate matters; a personal diary belongs to one person but may not be locked away from others. Exclusive adds a sense of privilege or selectivity — an exclusive club requires membership or invitation, whereas a private club merely limits access to members. Confidential is the most formal of the four, typically used for sensitive information protected by rules or law, such as a confidential document. For example: You might keep a private diary (personal choice), but a lawyer handles confidential documents (professional obligation). If you stay at an exclusive resort, you pay a premium for privilege; if you stay at a private villa, you simply avoid other guests.
Common collocations
Nouns
- private life
- private sector
- private property
- private school
- private room
- private meeting
- private conversation
Adverbs
- very private
- quite private
- extremely private
- intensely private
- strictly private
Phrases
- in private
- public vs private
- keep something private
- remain private
- private and confidential
Prepositions
- private about
- private with
- in private
Etymology
The word 'private' entered English from Latin 'privatus', meaning 'withdrawn from public life, belonging to oneself'. This came from 'privare', 'to deprive or release', which is related to 'prīvus', 'one's own, individual'. In medieval times, 'private' was used to describe things not held by the state or church. The military rank 'private' emerged in the 1500s, originally meaning a soldier hired or 'privately' enlisted rather than conscripted — essentially a 'private' soldier as opposed to one serving under public obligation.