1
as in confidential
not known or meant to be known by the general populace
privy information on the current state of the peace negotiations
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in clandestine
undertaken or done so as to escape being observed or known by others
privy meetings between high-level representatives from both sides for the purpose of bringing about an armistice
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in personal
of, relating to, or belonging to a single person
a privy seal that can be used only by the British monarch
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in outhouse
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of privy
Lawrence Jackson, Harper's Magazine, 10 July 2023
One illustration shows Henry sitting in his privy chamber, playing a harp—a typical depiction of David in psalters and Books of Hours at the time.
—V.m. Braganza, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Aug. 2023
Tanasia Kenney The Charlotte Observer (tns), al, 8 Feb. 2023
But district leadership wasn't privy to the decision until parents were already informed through their schools' principals.
—Madeline Mitchell, The Enquirer, 7 Feb. 2023
See All Example Sentences for privy
Adjective
Mucking out the man’s privy and carrying water for his wife provide her with many hours of reflection on how to make a poem.
—Lawrence Jackson, Harper's Magazine, 10 July 2023
One illustration shows Henry sitting in his privy chamber, playing a harp—a typical depiction of David in psalters and Books of Hours at the time.
—V.m. Braganza, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Aug. 2023
Noun
An investigation was launched after Simmons accused Charles of bugging her office and being privy to Board of Education information he was not entitled to, officials wrote.
—Tanasia Kenney The Charlotte Observer (tns), al, 8 Feb. 2023
But district leadership wasn't privy to the decision until parents were already informed through their schools' principals.
—Madeline Mitchell, The Enquirer, 7 Feb. 2023
See All Example Sentences for privy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for privy
Adjective
-
The size of the total reserve is confidential, but estimates are commonly in the hundreds of millions of tons.—
Scott L. Montgomery,
The Conversation,
11 Mar. 2025
-
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals and a federal-district court both ruled that prosecutors had not violated Holberg's rights by failing to disclose Kirkpatrick's status as a confidential informant.—
Faisal Kutty,
Newsweek,
11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The illicitly mined resources, which included valuable minerals and precious stones, were smuggled out of the country through clandestine networks, bypassing official regulatory controls for the benefit of consortium members at the expense of the state coffers.—
Antonio Maria Delgado,
Miami Herald,
11 Mar. 2025
-
For those hoping to wed immediately, whether to avoid family scrutiny or cover up an out-of-wedlock pregnancy, clandestine marriages performed by Anglican clergy offered a welcome alternative.—
Alexandra Cox,
Smithsonian Magazine,
10 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The Human Factor The avalanche awareness community is all about focusing on personal biases, communication, and group dynamics.—
Ashley Thess,
Outdoor Life,
14 Mar. 2025
-
Vigna’s comments come shortly after the luxury Italian carmaker reported a significant upswing in 2024 net profit, citing a strong product mix and growing demand for personal touches to its vehicles.—
Anniek Bao,Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
13 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
In just one week, our group alongside community partners, painted an elementary school, mixed cement for outhouses and wells in villages, and assembled and delivered water filters to homes.—
Gina Grillo,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Feb. 2025
-
These bathrooms were basically outhouses — and they were lined up side-to-side.—
Araceli Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
4 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Nobody can access your 1Password data without the secret key, and being asked to enter this should set those red flags flapping even more.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes,
12 Mar. 2025
-
While discussing who would be taking care of their dogs that weekend, Denise accidentally let Sami's secret slip.—
Liza Esquibias,
People.com,
12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Art is subjective, but the outcome of awards aren’t, and the cognitive dissonance of those two elements can lead to a lot of backlash.—
Callum Booth,
Forbes,
3 Mar. 2025
-
Does the actor looking older than her 21 years (a notion that is, of course, entirely subjective) infer some kind of moral failing?—
Morgan Fargo,
Vogue,
27 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Unfortunately, snakes slithering into commodes is not uncommon.—
Kelli Bender,
People.com,
26 Feb. 2025
-
One technique involved emptying the water from the toilets in their cells, then shouting through the commode, where they could be heard by other inmates.—
Alissa Wilkinson,
New York Times,
14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
This private survey reading on Monday followed the official manufacturing PMI released on Saturday, which also showed that China’s February factory activity expanded at its fastest pace since November.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
3 Mar. 2025
-
Zelensky will follow up his visit to Downing Street with a visit to King Charles III on Sunday, likely to take place at Sandringham, the private country retreat for the king and queen, according to The Telegraph.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
2 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Privy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/privy. Accessed 16 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share