kept private or confined to those intimately concerned
"it was discussed privately between the two men"
"privately, she thought differently"
"some member of his own party hoped privately for his defeat"
"he was questioned in private"
In a private manner.
"She privately thanked her friend for the generous gift."
The word privately is formed by adding the suffix -ly to the adjective private. It entered English as a straightforward adaptation of an existing term rather than through borrowing from another language.