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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arcane backdoor classified hush-hush hushed inside not for publication not public on the Q.T. private privy secret unofficial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in chambers in privacy in the background in the dark on the Q.T. reserved silent tight-lipped undercover unforthcoming withdrawn zipped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.

The biggest publicly traded private-equity firms have all reoriented their businesses around the rapid rise in private lending.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

That speed and dominance are reasons Elon Musk’s SpaceX is valued at about $1.3 trillion in private markets.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

Naval Academy and Harvard Business School, Andrew Powch, who has worked in private equity and at McKinsey.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

Until there is greater clarity around credit conditions and liquidity dynamics, valuations in private markets are likely to remain under pressure.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026

If she wanted to tell me this, why couldn’t she have said it to me in private?

From "Starfish" by Akemi Dawn Bowman

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.