privado

Privado is an adjective used in Spanish and Portuguese to describe something that belongs to, or relates to, an individual person or a non-public sphere, as opposed to what is public or government-run. It commonly refers to private property, private life, private sectors or private arrangements. In legal and everyday contexts, privado contrasts with público (public).

Etymology: Privado derives from the Latin privatus, meaning deprived or separated, from privare “to deprive.” The sense of belonging to a private person or realm emerged through the distinction between res privata (private matters) and res publica (public matters) in classical and medieval usage.

Usage in Spanish: common phrases include sector privado (private sector), propiedad privada (private property), vida privada (private life), información privada (private information), documento privado (private document), and club privado (private club). It can also describe actions or decisions made fuera del escrutinio público, such as un acto privado (a private act).

Usage in Portuguese: similar senses appear in setor privado (private sector), propriedade privada (private property), vida privada (private life), informação privada (private information), empresa privada (private company). The term can function as a noun in certain contexts to denote a private person or individual, though más often serves as an adjective.

Legal and social context: privado frequently appears in contrast to público in areas like derecho privado (private law), atividades privadas (private activities), and propriedade privada (private ownership). It also appears in expressions about confidentiality and personal space, such as segredo privado or conversa privada.

In common usage, privado covers everyday life, property, business, and confidentiality, forming a core antonym to the public sphere in both Spanish and Portuguese.