private enterprise

noun

: free enterprise

Examples of private enterprise in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In the Poltava region, next to Dnipropetrovsk region in the west, a drone strike hit warehouses at a private enterprise, killing one person, said regional head Vitalii Diakivnych. — ABC News, 30 July 2026 At the same time, Roosevelt continued to defend the virtues of private enterprise. — Joseph Thorndike, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026 The Chinese variant actually stimulates economic activity as corrupt officials sell the rights to monetize unproductive state assets to private enterprises. — Andy Browne, semafor.com, 14 July 2026 President Miguel Díaz-Canel recently announced a dramatic expansion of private enterprise in Cuba, following measures to promote foreign investment, most notably from Cuban Americans in Florida. — Joseph J. Gonzalez, The Conversation, 9 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for private enterprise

Word History

First Known Use

1789, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of private enterprise was in 1789

Rhymes for private enterprise

See All Rhymes for private enterprise

Browse Nearby Words

private detective
private enterprise
private equity
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Private enterprise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/private%20enterprise. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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