# privacy

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈpɹɪv.ə.si/ · frequency rank #3,898

## Definitions
1. The state of being secluded from the presence, sight, or knowledge of others.
2. Freedom from unwanted or undue disturbance of one's private life.
3. Freedom from damaging publicity, public scrutiny, surveillance, and disclosure of personal information, usually by a government or a private organization.
4. A place of seclusion.
5. A relationship between parties seen as being a result of their mutual interest or participation in a given transaction, contract etc.
6. Secrecy.
7. A private matter.

## Etymology
From private + -cy.

## Easily confused with
- **privy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/privacy-vs-privy)
- **private** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/privacy-vs-private)
- **piracy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/piracy-vs-privacy)
- **primary** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/primary-vs-privacy)
- **primacy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/primacy-vs-privacy)

## Common misspellings (11)
`pirvacy`, `pprivacy`, `priavcy`, `privaccy`, `privacyy`, `privayc`, `privcay`, `privvacy`, `prrivacy`, `prviacy`, `rpivacy`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/privacy