privatize

verb

pri·​vat·​ize ˈprī-və-ˌtīz 

privatized; privatizing; privatizes

transitive verb

: to make private

especially : to change from public to private control or ownership

privatize an industry

The mayor's threat to privatize trash collection shook things up.

—Jeff Bailey

privatization

ˌprī-və-tə-ˈzā-shən 

noun

Examples of privatize in a Sentence

The city decided to privatize the municipal power company.

a proposal to privatize the health-care system

Recent Examples on the Web

If results also continue to return in Measure B’s favor, a public vote would be required if the city ever pursued privatizing operations of the city’s libraries in the future. —Erika I. Ritchie, Oc Register, 11 June 2025

Back then, recreational sports leagues, run by local counties or municipalities for decades, suddenly privatized. —Shikhar Sachdev, HubSpot, 30 May 2025

In many countries, including Canada, air traffic control is fully privatized. —Nathan Diller, USA Today, 21 May 2025

So transit agencies could privatize in order to avoid the union premium and save money. —Matthew Yglesias, Twin Cities, 14 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1948, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for privatize

• advertise
• aggrandize
• agonize
• alibis
• alkalies
• alkalis
• amortize
• amplifies
• analyse
• analyze
• anywise
• authorize

Legal Definition

privatize

transitive verb

pri·​va·​tize ˈprī-və-ˌtīz 

privatized; privatizing

: to make private

especially : to change (as a business or industry) from public to private control or ownership

privatization

ˌprī-və-tə-ˈzā-shən, -ˌtī- 

noun