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private enterprise an economic system subject to limited government regulation in which the means of production are privately owned; free enterprise.
privateer a privately owned, armed ship commissioned by the state to attack or capture enemy ships in wartime. [3 definitions]
private eye (informal) a private detective.
private first class a soldier in the U.S. Army or Marine Corps ranking below a corporal and above a private.
private investigator a person whose job is to investigate criminal or secret activity at the request of paying clients; private detective.
privately without the knowledge of others.
privation lack of necessities or common comforts of life. [2 definitions]
privative acting to deprive. [4 definitions]
privatization the conversion of an industry, business, or the like from government ownership or control to ownership or control by the private sector.
privatize to change from governmental control or ownership to private. [2 definitions]
privet a shrub of European origin having evergreen leaves and bearing small white flowers, often cultivated as hedge.
privilege a right, immunity, benefit, or advantage belonging or granted exclusively to a person, group, social class, rank, or the like. [3 definitions]
privileged having advantages over others, especially due to wealth and family background; having privileges. [4 definitions]
privileged communication a communication that one cannot be forced to divulge, such as that between a doctor and a patient. [2 definitions]
privy sharing the knowledge of something secret or private (usu. fol. by "to"). [2 definitions]
privy council a body of counselors or advisers that serves and is usu. appointed by a monarch.
privy seal in Great Britain, an official seal placed on government documents.
prix fixe a fixed price charged for a complete meal. (Cf. à la carte.) [2 definitions]
prize a reward offered or won in a contest, competition, game of chance, or the like. [8 definitions]
Prize Cases a U.S. Supreme Court case decided in 1863 that held that, despite the absence of a declaration of war, President Lincoln acted within his powers to order the seizure of ships blockaded from Southern ports.
prize court a court that decides how to distribute goods captured in war, esp. goods taken at sea.