English · Word Candidate

private

/ˈpɹaɪ.vɪt/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: privates · privating · privated

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Belonging or pertaining to an individual person, group of people, or entity that is not the state.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Thuộc về hoặc liên quan đến một người, nhóm người hoặc thực thể không phải là nhà nước

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Adjective

Examples

In some countries, healthcare is provided by both the government and private companies.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Relating to an individual or group of individuals outside of their official roles; often, sensitive or personal.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Liên quan đến một cá nhân hoặc nhóm cá nhân ngoài vai trò chính thức của họ

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Adjective

Examples

This book is her private journal.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

A soldier of the lowest rank in the army.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Một士兵 có cấp bậc thấp nhất trong quân đội

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Noun

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 4

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

A doctor working in privately rather than publicly funded health care.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Một bác sĩ làm việc trong chăm sóc sức khỏe được tài trợ tư nhân chứ không phải công cộng

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Noun

Examples

In the cities and towns of California, privates are pressuring county governments to close or reduce in size their hospitals and to pay private hospitals for the care of low-income patients. Thus everything is stacked against public hospitals.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “private” mean?

Belonging or pertaining to an individual person, group of people, or entity that is not the state.

Is “private” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.