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Showing results for in private. Search instead for handle private.
Definitions

in private

ADJECTIVE
off the record
Synonyms
WEAK
arcane backdoor classified hush-hush hushed inside not for publication not public on the Q.T. private privy secret unofficial
ADJECTIVE
secretive
Synonyms
STRONGEST
covert enigmatic reticent taciturn
WEAK
backstairs buttoned-up cagey clammed up close close-mouthed cryptic feline furtive hushed in chambers in privacy in the background in the dark on the Q.T. reserved silent tight-lipped undercover unforthcoming withdrawn zipped
Antonyms
STRONGEST
communicative
WEAK
forthright honest open

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Hudson-Odoi did not enter a plea, and was convicted at York Magistrates' Court on 20 April in a fast-track hearing, conducted in private under the Single Justice Procedure.

From BBC • May 2, 2026

Realizations, or the money made from investment exits, for the same period was 5.0 billion euros, mostly in private equity.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026

I don’t think the problems in private credit are over.

From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026

In London, the Treasury collected billions in taxes on North Sea producers but largely left investment, development and ownership in private hands, especially after Margaret Thatcher became prime minister in 1979.

From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026

“I want war like I want polio,” Johnson groaned in private.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin