ENGLISH
REFERENCE

privacy

n. uncountable
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford US //ˈpɹaɪvəsi// UK //pɹˈɪvəsi// pri·va·cy Archaic General-service

n. the state of being alone or away from other people so that they cannot see or hear you. You use this when you want to keep your personal life or information secret.

n. the state of being free from public attention or intrusion into one's personal life. Often used in legal contexts to refer to the right to control personal data and physical space.


SIMPLE

I value my privacy when I am working from home.

CONTEXTUAL

The new law aims to protect the digital privacy of citizens by limiting how companies share personal data.

COMPLEX

While the celebrity acknowledged that fame invited public interest, she argued that the intrusive long-lens photography constituted a clear violation of her family's privacy.

Synonyms
Origin

From private + -cy.

Usage

Frequently follows the verbs 'protect', 'invade', or 'respect'.

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