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Meaning & use

privately owned

adjective·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˌpraɪvətli ˈəʊnd/
US/ˌpraɪvətli ˈoʊnd/

Meaning

  1. adjectivebefore a noun

    Owned by a person or a company, not by the government.

    Grammar: Usually comes before a noun: a privately owned business. Can also follow a linking verb: The hospital is privately owned.

    Patterns

    • privately owned company
    • privately owned business
    • privately owned land
    • be privately owned

    She works for a privately owned bank in the city center.

    The park is privately owned, so the public cannot enter without permission.

    Most of the apartments in this area are privately owned.

Common combinations

privately owned company
He bought shares in a privately owned company.
privately owned business
The café is a small privately owned business.
privately owned land
You cannot camp on privately owned land without asking the owner.
be privately owned
The museum is privately owned and receives no government money.

Synonyms and how they differ

independent
Focuses on not being controlled by a larger organization or the government; 'privately owned' simply states who the owner is.
family-owned
Means owned by a family, which is a specific type of private ownership; 'privately owned' is broader.

Opposites

publicly ownedstate-owned

Word family

private adjective
Belonging to one person or group, not for everyone.
privately adverb
In a private way, not publicly.
ownership noun
The fact of owning something.

Commonly confused: privately owned or publicly owned?

privately owned vs publicly owned

Means owned by the government, not by a private person or company. They are opposites.

Practice

The hospital is ______, so it does not receive money from the government.

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