belonging to some particular person:private property.
pertaining to or affecting a particular person or a small group of persons; individual; personal:for your private satisfaction.
confined to or intended only for the persons immediately concerned; confidential:a private meeting.
personal and not publicly expressed:one's private feelings.
not holding public office or employment:private citizens.
not of an official or public character:private life.
removed from or out of public view or knowledge; secret:private papers.
not open or accessible to the general public:a private beach.
undertaken individually or personally:private research.
without the presence of others; alone.
solitary; secluded.
preferring privacy; retiring:a very private person.
intimate; most personal:private behavior.
of, having, or receiving special hospital facilities, privileges, and services, esp. a room of one's own and liberal visiting hours:a private room; a private patient.
of lowest military rank.
of, pertaining to, or coming from nongovernmental sources:private funding.
n.
a soldier of one of the three lowest enlisted ranks.
privates. See private parts.
in private, not publicly; secretly:The hearing will be conducted in private.
Latin prīvātus private, literally, taken away (from public affairs), special use of past participle of prīvāre to rob. See deprive, -ate1
Middle English 1350–1400
pri′vate•ly, adv. pri′vate•ness, n.
2.See corresponding entry in Unabridged singular, particular, peculiar.
10.See corresponding entry in Unabridged sequestered, retired.
2.See corresponding entry in Unabridged general, public.