adj
privy
PRIH-vee
adj
1
Having private or secret knowledge of something, especially information not shared with everyone.
"Only a handful of executives were privy to the merger talks."
2
Private or belonging to a particular individual, especially in formal or legal contexts.
"The privy council advised the monarch directly."
noun
1
An old-fashioned or rural outdoor toilet.
"The old farmhouse still had a privy out back."
How to Use Privy
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither "in on" secret information, or (as a noun) an old-style outhouse toilet.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
privy to
privy council
Word Forms
more privy comparative, privies plural, most privy superlative
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Etymology
From Old French privé, "private," from Latin privatus — the same root as the modern word "private," of which "privy" is a doublet.