privatize
verb
pri·vat·ize
ˈprī-və-ˌtīz 
privatized; privatizing; privatizes
: 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
Jeff Bailey 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
Almost all states in the U.S. have privatized Medicaid programs administered with the health of insurers like UnitedHealth Group’s UnitedHealthcare, Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans, Centene, Molina Healthcare and an array of others.
—Bruce Japsen, Forbes, 8 Dec. 2024
At the moment in Iceland, there is no regulation on whether lava can be privatized, like oil.
—Elizabeth Fazzare, Architectural Digest, 27 Nov. 2024
During that campaign, Oz was a vocal supporter of privatizing Medicare.
—Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 21 Nov. 2024
The real risk is that by providing a clear statement about privatizing risk, the government could destabilize confidence in the entire system of assets that are implicitly believed to be backed by the state.
—Drew Bernstein, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for privatize 
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.
Bruce Japsen, Forbes, 8 Dec. 2024
At the moment in Iceland, there is no regulation on whether lava can be privatized, like oil.
—Elizabeth Fazzare, Architectural Digest, 27 Nov. 2024
During that campaign, Oz was a vocal supporter of privatizing Medicare.
—Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 21 Nov. 2024
The real risk is that by providing a clear statement about privatizing risk, the government could destabilize confidence in the entire system of assets that are implicitly believed to be backed by the state.
—Drew Bernstein, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for privatize
Dictionary Entries Near privatize
Cite this Entry
“Privatize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/privatize. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
privatize
transitive verb
pri·va·tize
ˈprī-və-ˌtīz
privatized; privatizing
: to make private
especially
: to change (as a business or industry) from public to private control or ownership
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share