German word

privatisieren

Pronunciation

IPA/pʁivatiˈziːʁən/

Meaning

  • verbprivatize

Example

Die Regierung privatisierte das Stromunternehmen.

The government privatized the electric utility.

Illustration for privatisieren (privatize)

More examples

Die Regierung diskutiert, ob sie die Bahn privatisieren soll.

The government is discussing whether it should privatize the railways.

Core concept

A public company leaves the state's control and enters private ownership or management.

Common phrases

  • die Bahn privatisieren

    privatize the railways

  • Staatsbetriebe privatisieren

    privatize state-owned enterprises

  • die Wasserversorgung privatisieren

    privatize the water supply

Similar words

verkaufen: Sell property or a business to a buyer in exchange for payment.
veräußern: Transfer legal ownership of property or a company to another party.
ausgliedern: Separate part of an organization into an independent company.
übergeben: Hand an object or responsibility over to another person or group.

Definition in German

ein staatliches Unternehmen oder eine öffentliche Einrichtung in private Hände überführen und deren Betrieb dem privaten Sektor übertragen

Word origin

Privatisieren comes from French privatiser, ultimately from Latin privatus meaning 'private', with the German verb ending '-ieren'.

Usage tips

  • Privatisieren is transitive, so the transferred company or institution appears as the accusative object, as in 'Die Regierung privatisierte das Stromunternehmen.'

Other meanings

  • denationalizeverb

Opposites

  • verstaatlichennationalizeverb
  • rekommunalisierenremunicipalizeverb

Related words

  • Privatisierungswelleprivatization wavenoun
  • privatisiertprivatizedadjective

Word lists with this word