privates

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.

What, Henry asks, “have kings, that privates have not too, save ceremony, save general ceremony?”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 9, 2026

Andriy Yermak, the head of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's office, said the released servicemen included two officers, sergeants and privates who fought in different parts of the front.

From Reuters • Aug. 7, 2023

They’re going to put aspartame in this possibly-causing-cancer category, along with, oh, putting talcum powder on your privates, or working in a dry cleaner.

From Slate • Jun. 29, 2023

For years, the world of privates was dominated by aging crooners, a category known delicately as “nostalgia performers.”

From New York Times • May 30, 2023

One night I played at a ball held for privates, petty officers, and their camp followers in a factory once devoted to the rendering of fish-oil.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson