Privately means doing something away from others, where you can't be observed or overheard. When you speak to your teacher privately after class, you're having a conversation just between the two of you, not in front of the whole class. When someone handles a matter privately, they're keeping it personal rather than making it public.

The word suggests intentional separation from a larger group. You might ask to speak with a friend privately when you need to discuss something sensitive, or a doctor might examine a patient privately in a closed room rather than in a busy hallway. Companies can be privately owned by a family or small group of investors rather than having thousands of public shareholders.

Privately can also describe your inner thoughts and feelings. You might privately disagree with a decision but choose not to argue about it in the moment. What you think privately might be different from what you say publicly, especially when you're being polite or diplomatic. The word recognizes that everyone has an inner world separate from what others see.