privatize
verb
pri·vat·ize
ˈprī-və-ˌtīz 
privatized; privatizing; privatizes
: to make private
especially
: to change from public to private control or ownership
privatize an industry
The mayor's threat to privatize trash collection shook things up. —
Jeff Bailey
Jeff Bailey Examples of privatize in a Sentence
The city decided to privatize the municipal power company.
a proposal to privatize the health-care system
Recent Examples on the Web
In this way, B1G1’s approach challenges the dominant economic paradigm in which profits are privatized while costs to society and the environment are externalized.
—Christopher Marquis, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
The refresh began after Tata Group privatized the 93-year-old carrier from the government three years ago.
—Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2025
And while the notion of privatizing a public liberal arts college may seem radical, it can also be understood as an escalation of a larger pattern.
—Alice Herman, Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2025
None of his decisions are about slashing bureaucratic red tape or privatizing parts of the state.
—Russell Muirhead, Foreign Affairs, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for privatize
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Christopher Marquis, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
The refresh began after Tata Group privatized the 93-year-old carrier from the government three years ago.
—Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2025
And while the notion of privatizing a public liberal arts college may seem radical, it can also be understood as an escalation of a larger pattern.
—Alice Herman, Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2025
None of his decisions are about slashing bureaucratic red tape or privatizing parts of the state.
—Russell Muirhead, Foreign Affairs, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for privatize
Cite this Entry
“Privatize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/privatize. Accessed 23 Sep. 2025.
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privatize
transitive verb
pri·va·tize
ˈprī-və-ˌtīz
privatized; privatizing
: to make private
especially
: to change (as a business or industry) from public to private control or ownership
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