privatise

Other spellings

• (US) privatize

Word parts

private + -ise

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA ^(key): /ˈpraɪvətaɪz/
• Hyphenation: pri‧va‧tise

Verb

Plain form privatise

Third-person singular privatises

Past tense privatised

Past participle privatised

Present participle privatising

1. (economics) When a government privatises something, it removes government control over an industry or a part of the economy, and let people manage it themselves.
   • Antonym: nationalise

   Senator Barry Goldwater's proposal to privatise Social Security had received a lot of opposition.

2. (computing) When you privatize something (such as a variable or function), you make it private and making it only able to be used internally.