private
adj
1 not widely or publicly known
they had private reasons for the decision
2 confidential; secret
a private conversation
3 not for general or public use
a private bathroom
4 prenominal individual; special
my own private recipe
5 prenominal having no public office, rank, etc.
a private man
6 prenominal denoting a soldier of the lowest military rank
a private soldier
7 of, relating to, or provided by a private individual or organization, rather than by the state or a public body
the private sector, private housing
8 (of a place) retired; sequestered; not overlooked
9 (of a person) reserved; uncommunicative
10 ♦
in private in secret; confidentially
n
11 a soldier of the lowest rank, sometimes separated into qualification grades, in many armies and marine corps private first class (C14: from Latin privatus belonging to one individual, withdrawn from public life, from privare to deprive, bereave) ♦
privately adv
parliamentary private secretary
n (in Britain) a backbencher in Parliament who assists a minister, esp. in liaison with backbenchers, (Abbrev.)
PPS
private bar
n (Brit) the saloon or lounge bar of a public house, (Also called)
the private Compare →
public bar
private bill
n a bill presented to Parliament or Congress on behalf of a private individual, corporation, etc.
private company
n a limited company that does not issue shares for public subscription and whose owners do not enjoy an unrestricted right to transfer their shareholdings
Compare →
public company
private detective
n an individual privately employed to investigate a crime, keep watch on a suspected person, or make other inquiries, (Also called)
private investigator
private enterprise
n
1 economic activity undertaken by private individuals or organizations under private ownership
Compare →
public enterprise
2 another name for →
capitalism
private eye
n
Informal a private detective
Private Finance Initiative
n (in Britain) a government scheme to encourage private investment in public projects, (Abbrev.)
PFI
private health insurance
n insurance against the need for medical treatment as a private patient
private hotel
n
1 a residential hotel or boarding house in which the proprietor has the right to refuse to accept a person as a guest, esp. a person arriving by chance
2 (Austral. and N.Z.) a hotel not having a licence to sell alcoholic liquor
private income
n an income from sources other than employment, such as investment, (Also called)
private means
private language
n (Philosophy) a language that is not merely secret or accidentally limited to one user, but that cannot in principle be communicated to another
private law
n the branch of law that deals with the rights and duties of private individuals and the relations between them
Compare →
public law
private life
n the social or family life or personal relationships of an individual, esp. of a person in the public eye, such as a politician or celebrity
private member
n a member of a legislative assembly, such as the House of Commons, not having an appointment in the government
private member's bill
n a public bill introduced in the House of Commons by a private member
private parts , privates
pl n euphemistic terms for →
genitals
private patient
n (Brit) a patient receiving medical treatment not paid for by the National Health Service
private pay bed
n (in Britain) a bed in a National Health Service hospital, reserved for private patients who pay a consultant acting privately for treatment and who are charged by the health service for use of hospital facilities, (Often shortened to)
pay bed Compare →
amenity bed
private practice
n (Brit) medical practice that is not part of the National Health Service
private press
n a printing establishment primarily run as a pastime
private property
n land or belongings owned by a person or group and kept for their exclusive use
private school
n a school under the financial and managerial control of a private body or charitable trust, accepting mostly fee-paying pupils
private secretary
n
1 a secretary entrusted with the personal and confidential matters of a business executive
2 a civil servant who acts as aide to a minister or senior government official
Compare →
parliamentary private secretary
private sector
n the part of a country's economy that consists of privately owned enterprises
Compare →
public sector
private treaty
n a sale of property for a price agreed directly between seller and buyer
private view
n a preview, esp. of an art exhibition, for specially invited guests
private viewdata
n an interactive video text system with restricted access