privatization
UK /ˌpɹaɪvɪtaɪˈzeɪʃ(ə)n/ · US /ˌpɹaɪvətaɪˈzeɪʃən/ noun
Forms privatizations privatisation
- noun The transfer of a company or organization from government to private ownership and control.
- noun (uncommon) The rendering of a thought or an idea, as private in scope.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
Calque of German Privatisierung (with English -ation), derived from Latin prīvātus (“apart from the state; private”), with reference to post-First World War German economic principles. Popularized by Sidney Merlin in 1943, who was aware of the term reprivatization (used in similar contexts), already attested at the time.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 — from the Wiktionary entry “privatization”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details