privatize — to transfer ownership of a business, industry, or service from the public sector to private companies or individuals
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to transfer ownership of a business, industry, or service from the public sector to private companies or individuals
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈpraɪvətaɪz/
Example Sentences
- The mayor's plan to privatize the city's parking meters sparked heated debate among citizens.
- After they privatized the postal service, my grandmother complained that her love letters now arrived with corporate advertising.
- The country decided to privatize its national railway system to improve efficiency.
privatize
VERB[/ˈpraɪvətaɪz/]
to transfer ownership of a business, industry, or service from the public sector to private companies or individuals
The government decided to privatize the old state railway last month.
Privatize to capitalize and optimize!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Derived from Latin privatus meaning 'individual' or 'private,' the verb privatize emerged to mean 'to convert into private ownership.' The term gained widespread usage from the mid-to-late twentieth century alongside neoliberal economic policies advocating for reduced government control of industries and services.
Breakdown
private (from Latin privatus, meaning individual or private) + -ize (suffix forming verbs meaning 'to make' or 'to cause to become'). The morpheme -ize transforms the adjective into a verb denoting the action of making something private.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The mayor's plan to privatize the city's parking meters sparked heated debate among citizens.”
“After they privatized the postal service, my grandmother complained that her love letters now arrived with corporate advertising.”
“The country decided to privatize its national railway system to improve efficiency.”
“Some economists argue that privatizing everything would even make the moon charge admission fees for romantic dates.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
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