privately held

adjective

Of a corporation or other business, owned by a small number of people, and not having shares of ownership sold via a stock exchange or other public market.

“Near-synonym: closely held (sometimes hyponymous)”

Similar
closely held
Opposite
publicly held
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Meanings

adjectiveprivately held (not comparable)
  1. not comparableOf a corporation or other business, owned by a small number of people, and not having shares of ownership sold via a stock exchange or other public market.

    Near-synonym: closely held (sometimes hyponymous)

    Synonyms: closely held · Antonyms: publicly held

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveOf a corporation or other business, owned by a small number of people, and not having shares of ownership sold via a stock exchange or other public market.

Similar
closely held
Opposite
publicly held
Also see
closely held
Cite this entry
APA

privately held. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/privately%20held

MLA

“privately held.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/privately%20held. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “privately held,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/privately%20held.

Source: privately held on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.