[pri.vate] adj [ME privat, fr. L privatus, fr. pp. of privare to deprive, release, fr. privus private, individual; prob. akin to L pro for, in front of--more at for] (14c) 1 a: intended for or restricted to the use of a particular person, group, or class "a ~ park" b: belonging to or concerning an individual person, company, or interest "a ~ house" c (1): restricted to the individual or arising independently of others "~ opinion" (2): carried on by the individual independently of the usual institutions "~ study"; also: being educated by independent study or a tutor or in a private school "~ students" d: not general in effect "a ~ statute" e: of, relating to, or receiving hospital service in which the patient has more privileges than a semiprivate or ward patient
2. a (1): not holding public office or employment "a ~ citizen" (2): not related to one's official position: personal "~ correspondence" b: being a private "a ~ soldier" 3 a: withdrawn from company or observation: sequestered "a ~ retreat" b: not known or intended to be known publicly: secret c: preferring to keep personal affairs to oneself: valuing privacy highly d: unsuitable for public use or display
4: not having shares that can be freely traded on the open market "a ~ company" -- pri.vate.ly adv -- pri.vate.ness n
[2]private n (15c) 1 archaic: one not in public office
2. obs: privacy 3 pl: private parts
4. a: a person of low rank in various organizations (as a police or fire department) b: an enlisted man of the lowest rank in the marine corps or of one of the two lowest ranks in the army -- in private : not openly or in public