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
ˌprī-və-tə-ˈzā-shən How to pronounce privatize (audio)
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
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.
Economists call this socializing risk and privatizing reward. — Mariana Mazzucato, Time, 29 Oct. 2026 The protests came ahead of next month’s snap election as Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s Socialist Party criticized the conservative opposition Popular Party for making overtures about privatizing public pensions. — ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026 The current president of the Hartford Federation of Teachers, Corey Moses, criticized the tax credit as an effort to privatize schooling in America. — Theo Peck-Suzuki, Hartford Courant, 22 Oct. 2026 Former president Jair Bolsonaro — Flávio Bolsonaro’s father — signed a 2020 decree that opened a path toward privatizing parts of it before immediately backing down amid a wave of criticism. — Terrence McCoy, Washington Post, 17 Oct. 2026 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

Rhymes for privatize

See All Rhymes for privatize

Browse Nearby Words

privatization
privatize
privet
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Cite this Entry

“Privatize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/privatize. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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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
privatization
ˌprī-və-tə-ˈzā-shən, -ˌtī- How to pronounce privatize (audio)
noun
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