privacy

The word “privacy” means the state of being free from observation or intrusion by others. In plain terms, being left alone, unobserved, and in control of your own personal information.

“Privacy” is pronounced PRIHV-uh-see (/ˈpɹaɪ.və.si/ in IPA).

Here is “privacy” used in a sentence: “She closed the blinds to have some privacy while getting changed.”

“Privacy” is a noun.

“Privacy” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

“Privacy” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the state of being free from observation or intrusion by others.

Privacy is the state of being free from observation or intrusion and having control over your personal information, while secrecy is the active concealment of information from others. Privacy is something people expect by default, whereas secrecy usually implies deliberately hiding something.

Privacy belongs to the individual and concerns their freedom from intrusion and control over their own information, while confidentiality is the duty of others to protect information they have been given. A doctor keeps records confidential in order to protect a patient's privacy.

The correct spelling is "privacy," with the letter sequence p-r-i-v-a-c-y. A common mistake is dropping the second "a" before the "cy" ending.

Frequent pairings include "invasion of privacy," "right to privacy," "privacy policy," "data privacy," and "personal privacy." Many of these relate to protecting personal information from being exposed or shared without consent.