Skip to the word

Added 9 October 2026

privy

/ˈpɹɪvi/ noun

Latin root: prīvātus Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about privy at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A room or building equipped with one or more toilets.
A small outbuilding with a bench having holes through which a user can defecate.

adjective

Hidden from general view or use.
a privy place to rest and think
(followed by `to') informed about something secret or not generally known.
privy to the details of the conspiracy

Origin

From Middle English pryvy, prive, from Old French privé (“private”), from Latin prīvātus (“deprived”), perfect passive participle of prīvō (“to bereave, deprive; to free, release”). Doublet of private.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Back to today's word