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
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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
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Recent Examples of private
The production shot at an old trestle bridge from the early 1900s, one of the few left, found on someone’s private property.
—
Mia Galuppo, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Jan. 2025
The race drivers are limited to 1,000km of private test running in old cars through the year, meaning Hamilton’s 89km run, followed by teammate Charles Leclerc’s 42km run in the afternoon, leaves plenty of room for more ahead of the new season.
—Luke Smith, The Athletic, 25 Jan. 2025
The billionaire declined to share details on his sources of financing, but said private equity firms and family offices have reached out to provide options.
—Krystal Hu, USA TODAY, 25 Jan. 2025
These fleeting possible exceptions aside, Underwood has kept her views on politics and virtually all hot-button issues private.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 13 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for private 
Mia Galuppo, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Jan. 2025
The race drivers are limited to 1,000km of private test running in old cars through the year, meaning Hamilton’s 89km run, followed by teammate Charles Leclerc’s 42km run in the afternoon, leaves plenty of room for more ahead of the new season.
—Luke Smith, The Athletic, 25 Jan. 2025
The billionaire declined to share details on his sources of financing, but said private equity firms and family offices have reached out to provide options.
—Krystal Hu, USA TODAY, 25 Jan. 2025
These fleeting possible exceptions aside, Underwood has kept her views on politics and virtually all hot-button issues private.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 13 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for private
Recent Examples of Synonyms for private
Adjective
-
The survey is confidential, and no personal information will be collected or shared, county officials said.—
Mary Divine,
Twin Cities,
1 Feb. 2025
-
Conversations between an attorney and their client are confidential, but phone lines in ICE facilities are not.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
30 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Given the clandestine nature of the process, the true number of fictitious sons who arrived during exclusion will never be known.—
Jane Hu,
The New Yorker,
23 Jan. 2025
-
Inspired by the Belle Époque era in 1900 Buenos Aires, the soaring space manages to feel clandestine with its dim lighting, lush floral displays, and bartenders in crisp white jackets.—
Lauren Mowery,
Forbes,
22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
The senator’s personal wealth has exploded since his 2016 presidential run, with book advances and royalties propelling his net worth to around $3 million.—
Robert Schmad,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
24 Jan. 2025
-
Over time, these experiences cause the brain to become hyper-aware of any signs of disapproval, interpreting neutral or ambiguous situations as personal rejection.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes,
24 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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In the years immediately following, Yardley remained in Indiana, working on a series of other books and a commercial secret ink.—
Peter Zablocki,
Smithsonian Magazine,
4 Feb. 2025
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From the personal details included in her Grammy night look to her secret chat with Chappell Roan, see all the best photos of Swift from the Feb. 2 ceremony.—
Alexandra Schonfeld,
People.com,
3 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
One that, again, merged something familiar – an undercover cop – with something unfamiliar: the world of art fraud.—
Marta Balaga,
Variety,
24 Jan. 2025
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In 2023, Benjamin Coney, 30, and Emily Grace Brinley, 26, both from Conway, messaged an undercover FBI agent posing as a mom of two girls, according to a Jan. 16 news release by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Arkansas.—
Paloma Chavez,
Kansas City Star,
21 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Historical records suggest Ludovico ordered the construction of an underground passageway to allow him easy access to Milan’s Basilica of Santa Maria delle Grazie, where his wife was buried.—
Sonja Anderson,
Smithsonian Magazine,
24 Jan. 2025
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Prime your body for a weekend of Quebec City’s outdoors by dropping in for daily yoga (18 dollars) in the monastery’s arched stone underground vault.—
Vjosa Isai,
New York Times,
23 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Voting is purely subjective, as was the case with Ichiro.—
Bernie Pleskoff,
Forbes,
23 Jan. 2025
-
The strategy is less effective for improving outputs such as poems or translations, in which ranking is subjective.—
Lauren Leffer,
Scientific American,
23 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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This isn’t a sly spy carrying out a covert operation; this is a spy whose careful plans have been overtaken by events.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
24 Jan. 2025
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The Jacksonville Jaguars hired Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen as the eighth head coach in franchise history Friday, capping a covert operation that included owner Shad Khan moving on from general manager Trent Baalke and Coen reversing course with the Bucs.—
Mark Long,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Private.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/private. Accessed 7 Feb. 2025.
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