Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| privacy | /ˈpraj.va.si/ /ˈpri.va.si/ |
feminine |
| riservatezza | /ri.zer.vaˈtet.t͡sa/ /ri.ser.vaˈtet.t͡sa/ |
feminine |
| privatezza | /pri.vaˈtet.t͡sa/ | feminine |
Italian uses several terms depending on whether you are discussing data protection, personal space or the quality of being discreet. The loanword privacy is the most common way to refer to both personal space and data protection in modern Italian. To talk about physical or emotional personal space, you can use spazio personale. When you need to discuss the specific topic of privacy laws and regulations, the expression tutela della privacy (protection of privacy) is often employed. In professional settings like legal or medical fields, the phrase rispetto della privacy (respect for privacy) is frequently used. For matters involving confidentiality in corporate environments or legal proceedings, the term confidenzialità is common, while discrezione is used in formal contexts to indicate the need to maintain confidentiality and privacy.
Which one should you use?
While privacy is the ubiquitous term for data protection and personal space, riservatezza is used specifically when referring to the quality of being discreet or the confidentiality of information. Privatezza is a much rarer, formal or literary term for privacy.
How does it change in a sentence?
All three primary forms, privacy, riservatezza and privatezza, are feminine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of privacy is /ˈpraj.va.si/. It has three syllables, with the stress on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- Italian lacks a single, ancient word that perfectly captures the English 'privacy' as a physical space, which is why the English word was adopted so rapidly.
- The Italian word privacy is so common that it is used in official government documents and laws, even though it is a direct loanword from English.
- The term privatezza is so formal and rare that using it in a casual conversation about your personal life might make you sound like a character from a 19th-century novel.
Examples in context
- Non ho alcuna privacy.I have no privacy.This sentence shows how to express a lack of privacy using privacy.Tatoeba #3653920 by Guybrush88, translation #2360153 by CK
- La privacy non esiste.Privacy doesn't exist.This sentence illustrates a statement about the non-existence of privacy using privacy.Tatoeba #5748895 by Guybrush88, translation #5748225 by CM
- Dagli un po' di privacy.Give him some privacy.This sentence is an example of requesting privacy for someone using privacy.Tatoeba #4700866 by Guybrush88, translation #3915853 by CH
- Il rispetto della privacy è fondamentale nella società modernaRespect for privacy is essential in modern society
- 141 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chiara and Alessandro are discussing a new smart home device.
- ChiaraQuesta telecamera mi preoccupa per la mia privacy.This camera worries me regarding my privacy.
- AlessandroPuoi spegnerla quando sei in stanza, Chiara.You can turn it off when you are in the room, Chiara.
- ChiaraSì, ma vorrei più privacy in generale.Yes, but I would like more privacy in general.
- AlessandroCapisco, allora cerchiamo un modello diverso.I understand, then let's look for a different model.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “privacy” translations and entries privacy, riservatezza, privatezza, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
