LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
English → Latin

“private” in Latin

The English word private itself goes back to Latin prīvus, through prīvātus.

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

private
privatus (opposed to publicus; may be used in nearly all the applications of the English word when joined with a substantive, as domus privata, homo privatus, luctus privatus, etc., Krebs): domesticus (that belongs to one’s own affairs or family; opposed to forensis = that belongs to public life, to an office, etc.; or opposed to communis = that concerns all; Vid: Cic., Att., 1, 17, 6; non forenses res, non domesticae, non publicae, non privatae carere diutius tuo suavissimo atque amantissimo consilio ac sermone possunt): to inquire whether one came in a public or private capacity, quaerere privatimne an publice venerit (Cic., Off., 1, 41): to give a private audience, aliquem in secretum recipere (Sen.): to give private lectures, or be a private tutor at a university, *scholas privatas habere (Krebs): to attend private lectures, *scholas privatas audire, privatim doceri or erudiri (Id.): a private person (not in office), privatus; qui ab omni reipublicae administratione vacat: a private secretary (of a prince), quem princeps ad manum habet, scribae loco (Vid: Nep., Eum., 1, 5): scriba principis: scriba cubicularius (general term, Inscript.): private interest, utilitas privata, domestica, or mea, commodum meum; compendium privatum (cupiditas mea = “selfishness”): private interests, necessitates or necessitudines privatae (circumstances arising from one’s private connections: Vid: commentators on Caes., B.C., 1, 8): cupiditas mea (opposed to salus communis, Cic., Off., 1, 19, 63): to neglect one’s private interests, rei familiaris commoda negligere: to sacrifice one’s private interests to anything, utilitates privatas alicui rei remittere (Vid: Tac., Ann., 1, 10, 2): to take care of one’s private interests, suae utilitati, or suis commodis servire; suis rationibus consulere: to consider everything with reference to one’s private interest, omnia ad utilitatem domesticam referre: private life, vita privata (general term): vita otiosa (with reference to the leisure which one enjoys): vita umbratilis (with reference to retirement and obscurity). (The words are found in this connection and order.) vita otiosa et umbratilis; vita privata et quieta (calm, private life): to lead a private life, privatum or in otio vivere: to retire into private life, a negotiis publicis se removere ad otiumque perfugere; privatum fieri; ejurato magistratu se privatum facere (of one who lays down a magistracy): to quit private life, and enter upon public business, ex umbratili et otiosa vita in solem et pulverem procedere: private circumstances, res privatae or domesticae, res familiaris: to give private instruction, aliquem domi et intra privatos parietes instituere: to keep under private tuition, aliquem domi et intra privatos parietes discentem continere; *aliquem privatis praeceptoribus erudiendum tradere: to have as private tutor, institutione alicujus privata uti: private education, *institutio privata or domestica. Private tutor, *praeceptor privatus (opposed to praeceptor publicus, Quint., 1, 2, in.): to put anybody under a private tutor, *aliquem praeceptori privato in disciplinam tradere: for one’s own private use, in privatum (Liv., 40, 51, § 5): private theatre, scena domestica: private theatricals, spectaculum privatum (in time of the emperors, a play which the emperor did not himself order to be exhibited; Vid: Bremi, Suet., Ner., 21).

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for private?
The usual Latin words for “private” are prīvātus, domesticus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.