adj. Secluded from the sight, presence, or intrusion of others: a private hideaway. adj. Designed or intended for one's exclusive use: a private room. adj. Of or confined to the individual; personal: a private joke; private opinions. adj. Undertaken on an individual basis: private studies; private research. adj. Of, relating to, or receiving special hospital services and privileges: a private patient. adj. Not available for public use, control, or participation: a private club; a private party. adj. Belonging to a particular person or persons, as opposed to the public or the government: private property. adj. Of, relating to, or derived from nongovernment sources: private funding. adj. Conducted and supported primarily by individuals or groups not affiliated with governmental agencies or corporations: a private college; a private sanatorium. adj. Enrolled in or attending a private school: a private student. adj. Not holding an official or public position: a private citizen. adj. Not for public knowledge or disclosure; secret: private papers; a private communication. adj. Not appropriate for use or display in public; intimate: private behavior; a private tragedy. adj. Placing a high value on personal privacy: a private person. n. A noncommissioned rank in the U.S. Army or Marine Corps that is below private first class.n. One who holds this rank or a similar rank in a military organization.n. Private parts. Often used with the.idiom. go private To take a publicly owned company into private ownership, as by a leveraged buyout.idiom. in private Not in public; secretly or confidentially.