privatize

verb

pri·​vat·​ize ˈprī-və-ˌtīz How to pronounce privatize (audio)
privatized; privatizing; privatizes

transitive verb

: to make private
especially : to change from public to private control or ownership
privatize an industry
The mayor's threat to privatize trash collection shook things up. Jeff Bailey
privatization noun

Examples of privatize in a Sentence

The city decided to privatize the municipal power company. a proposal to privatize the health-care system
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Project 2025 proposes privatizing the air traffic control system and increasing user fees to raise money for the chronically underfunded agency. Jeremy Bogaisky, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024 These included privatizing some government agencies and overhauling the pension system. Erika Page, The Christian Science Monitor, 23 Oct. 2024 Channel 4 spent much of 2023 fighting off Conservative plans to privatize the company. K.j. Yossman, Variety, 8 Oct. 2024 DeAngelis is also an adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank best known for its fight to privatize Social Security. Samantha Riedel, Them, 26 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for privatize 

Word History

First Known Use

1948, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of privatize was in 1948

Dictionary Entries Near privatize

Cite this Entry

“Privatize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/privatize. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.

Legal Definition

privatize

transitive verb
pri·​va·​tize ˈprī-və-ˌtīz How to pronounce privatize (audio)
privatized; privatizing
: to make private
especially : to change (as a business or industry) from public to private control or ownership
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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