past form
Changed a government-owned business or service so that private people or companies owned it.
The government privatized the water company last year.
Several countries privatized their railways in the 1990s.
American English
How to pronounce privatized
verb · adjectiveB2
PRAIvuhtaizd
/ˈpʰɹaɪ.vəˌtaɪzd̚/
3 syllables · Stress the first syllable.
Form of privatize
Privatized is used as the past form of privatize and as a past participle, including before a noun as an adjective.
Changed a government-owned business or service so that private people or companies owned it.
Practice out loudMeanings & examples
past participle used as an adjective
No longer owned or controlled by the government because ownership has been transferred to private people or companies.
Privatized services may charge higher prices.
Workers protested against the privatized railway.