privateer
English
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privateer
- /ˌpɹaɪ.vəˈtɪə/ UK
- /ˌpɹaɪ.vəˈtɪɚ/ US
Rhymes with -ɪə(ɹ)
Where it comes from
From private + -eer probably after volunteer, shortened from the original term "private man-of-war".
noun privateers
- A privately owned warship that acted under a letter of marque to attack enemy merchant ships and take possession of their cargo.
- An officer or any other member of the crew of such a ship; a government-sanctioned pirate. Kidd soon threw off the character of a privateer and became a pirate.
- An advocate or beneficiary of privatization of a government service or activity. 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.
- A private individual entrant into a race or competition who does not have the backing of a large, professional team.
- A racing team that is not a subsidiary of a large conglomerate, or automotive or vehicle manufacturer.
verb privateers · privateering · privateered
- To function under official sanction permitting attacks on enemy shipping and seizing ship and cargo; to engage in government-sponsored piracy.
- To advocate or benefit from privatization of government services. 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
Translations
Every language
noun privately owned warship
| Español | buque corsario |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 사략선 saryakseon |
| 日本語 | 私掠船 |
| 中文 | 私掠船 sīlüèchuán |
| Português | navio corsário |
| Français | corsaire |
| Deutsch | Kaperschiff |
| Italiano | nave corsara |
| Русский | ка́пер káper, корса́р korsár, привати́р privatír |
| עברית | פְּרִיבָטִיר privatír, קוֹרְסָר korsár |
noun officer or crew of a privateer ship
| Español | corsario |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 私掠者 sīlüèzhě |
| Português | corsário |
| Français | corsaire |
| Deutsch | Freibeuter |
| Italiano | corsaro |
| עברית | פְּרִיבָטִיר privatír, קוֹרְסָר korsár |
Talk about this word "privateer." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/privateer. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. privateer. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/privateer "privateer." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/privateer.Cite this
@misc{privateer_2026,
title = {privateer},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/privateer},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
