privatni

Privatni is an adjective used in several South Slavic languages, notably Croatian, Serbian, and Bosnian, to denote something private or belonging to an individual rather than to the public or state. It is used to describe private property or private life, as well as parts of the economy and society such as the private sector or private funding.

Etymology and usage across languages trace privatni to the Latin root privatus, meaning separated from or not public. The term is cognate with related words in other European languages that express private, personal, or non-public concepts. In practice, privatni modifies nouns to indicate a private character, in contrast to public or state-owned terms.

Common uses include privatni sektor (private sector), privatno vlasništvo or privatno vlasništvo (private ownership), and privatni život (private life). In economic contexts, privatizacija refers to the process of transferring ownership or control from the public sector to private actors. In data privacy or security, phrases such as privatni podaci or privatne informacije appear to signal information kept private.

Grammar and form: the form of privatni agrees with the noun in gender and number. The masculine singular form is privatni, with feminine and neuter forms used for corresponding nouns, and plural forms align with standard adjective agreement rules in the language.

Geographic usage and sense: the term is standard in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and Montenegro, where it serves to distinguish non-public, privately owned, or non-state aspects from public or state-related ones. It can apply to property, life, institutions, and economic activity, among other domains.