Meaning & use
privateer
A privately owned ship authorized by a government to attack and capture enemy vessels, or its captain.
See it in a sentence
During the war, the privateer captured several merchant ships for profit.
The privateer sailed under a government license permitting attacks on rival trade ships.
A note on using this word
Unlike a pirate, a privateer operated legally under a government commission called a letter of marque.
Words with a similar meaning
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