pri ‧ vate ‧ ly /ˈpraɪvətli, ˈpraɪvɪtli/ BrE AmE adverb
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ privacy , ↑ private , ↑ privatization ; verb : ↑ privatize ; adverb : ↑ privately ; adjective : ↑ private ]
1 . with no one else present SYN in private :
I must talk to you privately.
2 . if you feel or think something privately, you do not tell anyone about it:
Laura praised the pictures, though she privately thought they were rather ordinary.
[sentence adverb]
Privately, Harriet had to agree.
3 . not publicly or as part of your work
[sentence adverb]
Privately, senior officials agreed that not many people had voted.
4 . especially British English using or involving private rather than government institutions:
Both children are privately educated.
a privately-owned company