Synonyms for privately
EXAMPLES FROM THE WEB FOR PRIVATELY
When you get back, if you get a chance to see him privately, you may tell him there is no danger of that.
Halbert privately came to the same conclusion, and decided to war only with words.
As it will be so privately performed, clothes and equipage may be provided for afterwards.
If you allow of it, I protest I will go off privately with you, and we will live and die together.
But I do a little in the other way, sometimes; privately, very privately, Miss Dorrit.'
It was not his place to inform against the school, privately, to the master.
He met me aside, and privately bade me go to Roy's (where Charlotte was).
I don't mind telling you privately, Mr. Farnham, that I mean to push him.
Privately, Andy was afraid chances would not do him much good.
He had been privately arrested just before the arrival of Flotte.
WORD ORIGIN
late 14c., "pertaining or belonging to oneself, not shared, individual; not open to the public;" of a religious rule, "not shared by Christians generally, distinctive; from Latin privatus "set apart, belonging to oneself (not to the state), peculiar, personal," used in contrast to publicus, communis; past participle of privare "to separate, deprive," from privus "one's own, individual," from PIE *prei-wo-, from PIE *prai-, *prei-, from root *per- (1) "forward, through" (see per).
Old English in this sense had syndrig. Private grew popular 17c. as an alternative to common (adj.), which had overtones of condescention. Of persons, "not holding public office," recorded from early 15c. In private "privily" is from 1580s. Related: Privately. Private school is from 1650s. Private parts "the pudenda" is from 1785. Private enterprise first recorded 1797; private property by 1680s; private sector is from 1948. Private eye "private detective" is recorded from 1938, American English.
MORE RELATED WORDS FOR PRIVATELY
aside
adverbaway from; to the sidebetween you and me
adverbin confidence- behind closed doors
- between ourselves
- confidentially
- don't breathe a word
- off the record
- privately