Word
privy
US/ˈpɹɪvi/
UK/pɹˈɪvi/
Definitions
01sharing a secret
C1 · Advanced Formal
adj. to be told secret or private information.
adj. sharing in the knowledge of something secret or private. Usually follows the verb 'to be' and takes the preposition 'to'.
“Only a few senior managers were privy to the plan to sell the company.”
“The legal counsel was privy to the sensitive negotiations, ensuring that all confidentiality agreements remained intact throughout the merger.”
Usage
Almost always used in the phrase 'privy to [something]'.
02outdoor toilet
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Archaic
n. a small building outside a house used as a toilet.
n. an outdoor toilet, typically a small structure over a pit; a latrine or outhouse.
“The old farmhouse didn't have indoor plumbing, so we had to use a privy in the garden.”
“Archaeologists excavated the site of the eighteenth-century privy, discovering discarded pottery that offered clues about the residents' daily lives.”
Teaching tip
This sense is archaic or historical; in modern English, speakers use 'toilet' or 'restroom'.
Synonyms
03legal party
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Law Technical · Formal
n. a person who has a legal interest in a contract or case even if they are not the main person involved.
n. a person who has a legal interest in a matter, such as a contract or property, through a relationship with one of the primary parties.
“The court had to decide if the new owner was a privy to the original agreement.”
“Under the doctrine of privity, a privy may be bound by the results of a previous legal judgment even if they were not a named defendant.”
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“Their memorial in the centre of town is one of the game’s clearest images, unobscured by fog, though we’re never privy to the exact events that lead to their deaths.” “We’ll be privy to the fabrication of the image and a number of possible realities.” Etymology
From Middle English pryvy, prive, from Old French privé (“private”), from Latin prīvātus (“deprived”), perfect passive participle of prīvō (“I bereave, deprive; I free, release”). Doublet of private.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C2 ProficiencyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.8.5–9.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 6.0114–120
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C2 · Proficiency
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/privy