Privateer

Quick meaning: Privateer is a noun meaning An advocate or beneficiary of privatization of a government service or activity.

Meaning

An advocate or beneficiary of privatization of a government service or activity.

More Meanings

1. (motor racing, elite championships) A racing team that is not a subsidiary of a large conglomerate, or automotive or vehicle manufacturer.
2. To advocate or benefit from privatization of government services.
3. (motor racing, chiefly Canada, US, Australia) A private individual entrant into a race or competition who does not have the backing of a large, professional team.
4. To function under official sanction permitting attacks on enemy shipping and seizing ship and cargo; to engage in government-sponsored piracy.
5. (historical) An officer or any other member of the crew of such a ship; a government-sanctioned pirate.
6. (historical) A privately owned warship that acted under a letter of marque to attack enemy merchant ships and take possession of their cargo.

Example Sentences

Kidd soon threw off the character of a privateer and became a pirate.

Privatization advocates, or “privateers,” peddle the simple message that privatization is always good.

Privateers, such as Osborne and Gaebler, promise that good competition will not become bad — will not become cutthroat competition — if good competition is "carefully structured and managed;"

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.

Word Forms

• privateers
• privateering
• privateered

Synonyms for privateer

Depending on context, synonyms include privateersman.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include privateersman, corsair, man-of-war, commodore, shipholder, purveyor.

Related Dictionary Tools