privés

Privés is the plural form of the French adjective privé, meaning private or not public. In French usage, privé describes something intended for private use, belonging to someone, or not accessible to the general public. It appears in phrases such as propriété privée (private property), espace privé (private space), and vie privée (private life).

Privés can also function as a noun: les privés, referring to private individuals or private actors as opposed to the public sector or state authorities. This noun usage is found in sociological, legal, or media contexts where a distinction between players in the private domain and those in the public domain is relevant.

In everyday language, the term appears in many compound expressions that denote limited access or non-public status, such as club privé (private club), réunion privée (private meeting), or données privées (private data). These uses are neutral and describe ownership, access control, or confidentiality rather than secrecy.

Etymology and related forms: the word derives from Latin privatus, meaning set apart or belonging to oneself. In modern French, the forms privé (singular) and privés (plural) are common across nouns and adjectives, with capitalization generally reserved for proper nouns or titles.