PRIVATELY Synonyms: 28 Similar and Opposite Words

privately

adverb

Definition of privately

as in secretly

in a manner intended to prevent knowledge or awareness by others she confided to me privately that she was considering divorce

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of privately Even her good friend Gizelle knew, and chose to gossip with Ashley instead of privately informing Tia off camera. — Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2026 An autographed Chicago Bulls jersey worn by Michael Jordan during Game 2 of the 1998 NBA Finals was privately sold to a Miami real estate investor for $14 million, an auction house announced Monday. — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026 Once public spectacles, executions now occur privately inside prisons, with only a handful of official witnesses and a press pool. — Patrik Jonsson, Christian Science Monitor, 10 Oct. 2026 Prop 40’s critics have warned the tax is unlikely to be a one-time deal and also raised alarms about the forms of wealth that would be targeted, such as unrealized capital gains and privately held stock that’s key for startups. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026 Unlike in other border areas, much of the land in Texas is privately or state owned. — ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026 Mercury and retrograde Venus in your 12th House suggest some answers are still forming privately. — Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026 Maduro publicly accused the executives of corruption, while a senior official privately described their detention as a means of pressuring Washington, according to the indictment. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 8 Oct. 2026 WeWork had been valued privately at $47 billion, but just six weeks after the New Constructs report, the company pulled its IPO amid weak demand and intense criticism surrounding its financials. — Isabel O'Brien, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for privately

Adverb

Meanwhile, conservative activists spread rumors last week that Talarico was struggling with his mental health and had secretly retreated to an Ohio hospital.

— Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 15 Oct. 2026
An engineer at OpenAI has been charged with secretly installing a recording device inside a conference room in what officials said Tuesday was an effort to capture sensitive conversations about the company's technology.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of secretly

Adverb

OpenAI confidentially filed its prospectus with regulators in June, and executives have signaled that the company is eyeing a 2027 debut.

— Ashley Capoot,Kate Rooney, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
OpenAI also confidentially filed for an IPO in June, but Altman has signaled that the company wouldn’t be going ahead with the listing amid mounting safety risks.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026