What does privatise mean?
Privatise means to transfer something from public or state ownership to private ownership or management. Its most common use concerns services, utilities, industries, or assets that were previously operated by a government or public body. Privatisation can involve selling the enterprise outright, transferring responsibility for its operation, or introducing private contractors while the public body retains formal ownership. The term is often discussed in relation to economic policy, competition, efficiency, public spending, and accountability. It is mainly a British English word; American English generally uses "privateize." The word is also used more broadly for making something private, though this sense is less common. In political and economic contexts, its connotations depend largely on the policy being described rather than on the word itself: it can suggest opening an institution to private investment, reducing direct state control, or shifting public responsibilities and risks away from government.
To transfer ownership, management, or control of a public service, industry, or asset to private owners.
"The government plans to privatise the national airline."
Common in British English and in economic and public-policy contexts; the US spelling is "privateize."
To make something private or remove it from public or governmental control.
"The company was accused of privatising a shared resource that should have remained open to the public."
This broader sense is less common than the economic and political sense.
The word turns a familiar idea—privacy—into a political process: making public institutions answer to private owners.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does privatise come from?
The verb is formed from the adjective "private" and the suffix "-ise," which indicates making or causing a particular quality. "Private" comes through Old French from Latin "privatus," a word associated with being apart from public or state control. The modern verb became especially prominent in the late 20th century as governments transferred state-owned enterprises and services to private operators. Its cognates include "privacy," "privilege," and "privity," all of which reflect Latin forms associated with private status or private possession.
Related word forms
How privatise is actually used
Chiefly used in British English and in discussion of economics, public policy, and institutional ownership. In US English, "privateize" is standard. The word can carry a political connotation, often neutral but sometimes implying a controversial transfer of public control to private enterprise.