Cambridge Dictionaries online Cambridge Dictionaries online

The most popular online dictionary and thesaurus for learners of English

  

private

adjective (NOT OFFICIAL)
 
 
/ˈpraɪ.vət/

Definition

B2 controlled or paid for by a person or company and not by the government: private education/healthcare a private doctor/dentist Banks should be supporting small private businesses.Business and commerce - general words
(Definition of private adjective (NOT OFFICIAL) from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

“private” in other dictionaries

Word of the Day

throw sb together

If two people are thrown together, they meet each other in a way that was not planned, or events...

Word of the Day

Blog

Read our blog about how the English language behaves.

Learn More

New Words

Find words and meanings that have just started to be used in English, and let us know what you think of them.

Learn More