privy

See also: přivý

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpɹɪv.i/

Adjective

privy (comparative more privy, superlative most privy)

1. (now chiefly historical) Private, exclusive; not public; one's own. [from early 13th c.]

   The king retreated to his privy chamber.

   the privy purse

2. (now rare, archaic) Secret, hidden, concealed.
   • 1967, William Styron, The Confessions of Nat Turner, Vintage, published 2004, page 82:

     Nonetheless, in the dark and privy stillness of our minds there are few of us who are not still haunted by worrisome doubts.

3. With knowledge of; party to; let in on. [from late 14th c.]

   He was privy to the discussions.

Translations

private, exclusive, particular

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

• Dutch: privé (nl), uniek (nl), exclusief (nl)
• Finnish: salainen (fi), yksityinen (fi)
• French: privé (fr), unique (fr), exclusif (fr)
• German: geheim (de)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Hungarian: magán (hu), saját (hu), titkos (hu)
• Portuguese: privado (pt) m, exclusivo (pt) m, particular (pt), privativo (pt), confidencial
• Russian: в ку́рсе (ru) (v kúrse), ча́стный (ru) (částnyj), ли́чный (ru) (líčnyj), прива́тный (ru) (privátnyj)

with knowledge of; party to; let in on

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

• Dutch: ingeweid, medeplichtig (nl)
• Finnish: tietoinen (fi), perillä (fi)
• French: instruit (fr), complice (fr)
• German: eingeweiht (de)
• Greek: κοινωνός (el) (koinonós)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Hungarian: beavatott (hu), tudomása van (hu), tudomással bír
• Persian: محرم (fa) (mahram)
• Russian: в ку́рсе (ru) (v kúrse), посвящённый (ru) (posvjaščónnyj), осведомлённый (ru) (osvedomljónnyj)
• Spanish: cómplice (es)
• Swedish: invigd (sv)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Arabic: خاص (ḵāṣ), سِرِّيّ (sirriyy)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

Noun

privy (plural privies)

1. An outdoor facility for urination and defecation, whether open (latrine) or enclosed (outhouse).
2. A lavatory: a room with a toilet.
3. A toilet: a fixture used for urination and defecation.
   • 1864 January 26, J.G. Lindsay, letter to P.P.L. O'Connel, §8:

     Arconum—I found two chairs wanting in the gentlemen's room, and the bath room attached applied to other purposes... the privies and urinaries clean...

4. (law) A partaker; one having an interest in an action, contract, etc. to which he is not himself a party.

Synonyms

• (latrine, outhouse, or lavatory): See Thesaurus:bathroom
• (fixture): See Thesaurus:toilet

Derived terms

• privy house

Translations

latrine — see latrine

outhouse — see outhouse

lavatory or toilet — see toilet

a partaker

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

• Finnish: intressitaho
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Hungarian: érdektárs
• Maori: torohē