1
as in confidential
not known or meant to be known by the general populace
that he is planning to retire is private information until he makes a public announcement
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in clandestine
undertaken or done so as to escape being observed or known by others
a private investigation of the organization's activities
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in personal
of, relating to, or belonging to a single person
club lockers in which private property may be stored
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of private
From painting in the house to flying in a private jet, the proud mom of three and ex-wife of the rock icon's son shared several special memories of Ozzy enjoying being a grandfather.
—
Kayla Grant, People.com, 24 July 2025
At the Supreme Court, Justices Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas have signaled interest in taking up a case based on this novel argument against a private right of action.
—Hansi Lo Wang, NPR, 24 July 2025
The works on display once formed the largest private collection in the country, but now belong to the National Gallery of Iceland.
—New York Times, 24 July 2025
But Bondi and Bongino had a contentious exchange the following day at the White House, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a private conversation.
—Eric Tucker, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for private
Kayla Grant, People.com, 24 July 2025
At the Supreme Court, Justices Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas have signaled interest in taking up a case based on this novel argument against a private right of action.
—Hansi Lo Wang, NPR, 24 July 2025
The works on display once formed the largest private collection in the country, but now belong to the National Gallery of Iceland.
—New York Times, 24 July 2025
But Bondi and Bongino had a contentious exchange the following day at the White House, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a private conversation.
—Eric Tucker, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for private
Recent Examples of Synonyms for private
Adjective
-
Instead of attempting to gain public trust through transparency, Musk’s company is currently pressing federal regulators to bury its robotaxi safety record, claiming the data must remain confidential for business reasons.—
Christiaan Hetzner,
Fortune,
20 July 2025
-
State police also launched an internal probe into the lead homicide detective, Michael Proctor, who was fired for sharing confidential information with civilians outside of law enforcement and drinking on the job.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
20 July 2025
Adjective
-
Speaking with Robbie Fox on the My Mom's Basement podcast, the former WWE Champion shared the story of the clandestine meeting.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 July 2025
-
Even when targeting America’s enemies, not all are supportive of clandestine cyberattacks.—
Thomas Brewster,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
Adjective
-
Contact personal finance columnist Susan Tompor: [email protected].—
Susan Tompor,
Freep.com,
24 July 2025
-
Clint Eastwood is as impersonal a personal filmmaker as modern Hollywood has to offer.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
23 July 2025
Adjective
-
By law, grand jury testimony is kept secret, except in matters of national security or counterintelligence, neither of which applies in this case.—
Meredith Kile,
People.com,
22 July 2025
-
Grand jury proceedings are typically secret, and files from them can only be released in limited circumstances.—
Danielle Chemtob,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
Adjective
-
At the beginning of the season, host Alan Cumming picks the Traitors that will pit the Faithful against each other by murdering them one by one while trying to remain undercover.—
Armando Tinoco,
Deadline,
22 July 2025
-
Ogles cited an undercover video obtained by conservative news website Townhall which appears to show a university employee discussing the school’s Office of Hope, Unity, and Belonging.—
Ruben Montoya,
The Tennessean,
19 July 2025
Adjective
-
His villa had a pool, a gym, appliances and a game room, and his underground bunker had a bed, a refrigerator and air conditioning, according to the feds.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
21 July 2025
-
Once hidden in underground spaces, ballroom has grown accessible to broader audiences, creating a unique platform for both personal expression and social commentary.—
Vogue,
Vogue,
21 July 2025
Adjective
-
However, a driver is not legally obligated to submit to a field sobriety test, pre-arrest test or cheek swab at a DUI checkpoint, according to the Law Offices of Grech and Parker in Riverside. Field sobriety tests are subjective and may not accurately measure sobriety, according to Bee archives.—
Sarah Linn,
Sacbee.com,
25 July 2025
-
When that happens, AI will have enough self-awareness and consciousness to have conscious subjective feelings and so be able to make an executive decision on how to manage the politeness vs. processing power balance.—
Adrian Bridgwater,
Forbes.com,
24 July 2025
Adjective
-
The bill would ban face coverings during public enforcement operations unless medically required or part of a covert investigation.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 July 2025
-
The human touch is also crucial for ensuring accountability with agentic AI use, particularly for security considerations like accountability and distinguishing a genuine user from a covert threat.—
Imran Aftab,
Forbes.com,
17 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Private.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/private. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share