verb

privatize

to privatise

The government plans to privatize the postal service.

The government plans to privatise the postal service.

((sth.)) to transfer (sth.) from public to private ownership The government will privatise the company.

Synonyms: denationalise; Antonyms: nationalise, socialise

From 'private' + the verb-forming suffix '-ize'. 'Private' comes from Latin 'privatus', meaning 'belonging to oneself'.

Think of making something that was public into something 'private'.

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