Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

privateer

/ˌpɹaɪ.vəˈtɪɚ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.54 in modern English

Syllables: pri-va-teer
IPA: /ˌpɹaɪ.vəˈtɪɚ/

14

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

3

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A privately owned warship that acted under a letter of marque to attack enemy merchant ships and take possession of their cargo.

noun

An officer or any other member of the crew of such a ship; a government-sanctioned pirate.

noun

An advocate or beneficiary of privatization of a government service or activity.

noun

A private individual entrant into a race or competition who does not have the backing of a large, professional team.

Australian usage; Canadian usage; American usage

noun

A racing team that is not a subsidiary of a large conglomerate, or automotive or vehicle manufacturer.

verb

To function under official sanction permitting attacks on enemy shipping and seizing ship and cargo; to engage in government-sponsored piracy.

verb

To advocate or benefit from privatization of government services.

Example Sentences

"Kidd soon threw off the character of a privateer and became a pirate."
"This is a major victory, not only for CUPW because it will deter profit-hungry privateers from taking work away from CUPW members, but also because it gives union protection to those employed by the privateers."
"Privateers, such as Osborne and Gaebler, promise that good competition will not become bad — will not become cutthroat competition — if good competition is "carefully structured and managed;""
"For example, when water workers leader Abelardo de Oliveira Filho says, […] investigations initiated by PSI in carrying out the mandate their members gave them to resist the privatization of water, to look into how the privateers worked"
"Privatization advocates, or “privateers,” peddle the simple message that privatization is always good."
"The principle of collective bargaining has been a basic point of dispute; it infringes, as Perlman pointed out, the privileges associated with private ownership and management of property. […] These so-called charters were simply a license given to shady elements to privateer against the strong and growing unions."

Etymology

From private + -eer probably after volunteer, shortened from the original term "private man-of-war".

Word Breakdown

Suffix: private

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˌpɹaɪ.vəˈtɪɚ/
British English: /ˌpɹaɪ.vəˈtɪə/

Usage

Inflected Forms

privateers (plural) privateers (present, singular) privateering (participle, present) privateered (participle, past) privateered (past)

Derived Forms

privateersman

Phrases

letter of marque works team

Frequently Paired Words

buccaneer profiteer letter of marque works team

Synonyms

privateersman

Rhymes With

here year we're near clear hear career fear wear appear dear beer

Questions

How do you pronounce privateer?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˌpɹaɪ.vəˈtɪɚ/.
What does privateer mean?: A privately owned warship that acted under a letter of marque to attack enemy merchant ships and take possession of their cargo.
Where does privateer come from?: From private + -eer probably after volunteer, shortened from the original term "private man-of-war".

How to pronounce privateer

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “privateer”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˌpɹaɪ.vəˈtɪɚ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “privateer”.
Repeat and practice — Say “privateer” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.