privacy

noun

pri·​va·​cy ˈprī-və-sē 

 especially British  ˈpri-

plural privacies

1

a

: the quality or state of being apart from company or observation : seclusion

b

: freedom from unauthorized intrusion

one's right to privacy

2

a

: secrecy

b

: a private matter : secret

3

archaic : a place of seclusion

Synonyms

• aloneness
• insulation
• isolation
• secludedness
• seclusion
• segregation
• separateness
• sequestration
• solitariness
• solitude

Examples of privacy in a Sentence

She went upstairs for some privacy.

Celebrities have a right to privacy.

Recent Examples on the Web

Then on Thursday, Baldoni filed a $400 million federal lawsuit against Lively and Reynolds, as well as Lively’s publicist Leslie Sloane, accusing the trio of multiple offenses, including defamation, civil extortion, invasion of privacy and interference with contractual relations. —Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 18 Jan. 2025

Despite her efforts at privacy, the family’s home address was leaked online, allegedly by her daughter’s classmate. —Kait Hanson, Glamour, 18 Jan. 2025

For more privacy and space, a bedroom with an in-room restroom and shower, can also be booked. —Christin Parcerisa Vigueras, Travel + Leisure, 18 Jan. 2025

The suggestion was sound advice from a privacy perspective, but was very surprising given the US Justice Department's historic opposition to the use of end-to-end encryption. —Lily Hay Newman, WIRED, 17 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing privacy

• invade someone's privacy
• invasion of (someone's) privacy

Kids Definition

privacy

noun

pri·​va·​cy ˈprī-və-sē 

plural privacies

1

a

: the quality or state of being out of the sight and hearing of other people : seclusion

the privacy of the home

b

: freedom from being intruded upon

one's right to privacy

2

: secrecy sense 2

talk in privacy

Legal Definition

privacy

noun

pri·​va·​cy

: freedom from unauthorized intrusion : state of being let alone and able to keep certain especially personal matters to oneself see also expectation of privacy, invasion of privacy, privacy interest at interest sense 3b, right of privacy, Griswold v. Connecticut and Roe v. Wade