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
Democrats have long accused Republicans of aiming to privatize Social Security, a New Deal era welfare program that provides benefits for seniors and Americans with disabilities.
—Joey Garrison, USA Today, 31 July 2025
With the Trump administration considering ways to privatize public land and cut funding for national parks, the question of what will happen to our beloved wilderness in all its forms is growing in importance.
—Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 27 July 2025
DeJoy resigned in March after President Donald Trump took office again and voiced his consideration to privatize USPS, meaning that mail service would no longer be public but rather owned and run by private companies.
—Mackenzie Thomas, The Washington Examiner, 14 July 2025
Project 2025, a road map for conservatives ahead of the election, suggested dismantling many of NOAA’s functions and privatizing that work, placing it under state control or sending it to other agencies.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for privatize
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Joey Garrison, USA Today, 31 July 2025
With the Trump administration considering ways to privatize public land and cut funding for national parks, the question of what will happen to our beloved wilderness in all its forms is growing in importance.
—Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 27 July 2025
DeJoy resigned in March after President Donald Trump took office again and voiced his consideration to privatize USPS, meaning that mail service would no longer be public but rather owned and run by private companies.
—Mackenzie Thomas, The Washington Examiner, 14 July 2025
Project 2025, a road map for conservatives ahead of the election, suggested dismantling many of NOAA’s functions and privatizing that work, placing it under state control or sending it to other agencies.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 6 June 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 4 Aug. 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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