privately speaking

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "privately speaking" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when you want to indicate that you are sharing thoughts or opinions in a confidential or personal manner. Example: "Privately speaking, I believe that the project could have been handled differently."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

He echoed criticism that a number of people in Hollywood voiced privately, speaking on condition of anonymity to avoid complicating relations with the Academy and the show's producers.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

But he has privately spoken of 11percentt.

The New York Times

Diplomats have privately spoken to community leaders and their governments have spent $100m on technical assistance.

The Economist

Officials from other clubs have privately spoken glowingly about the slickness of Chelsea's transfer-negotiation skills under Marina Granovskaia.

Independent

This was the tribute, which he privately spoke of with irony, that he felt he must pay to continue in his worldly role.

The New Yorker

In what seemed a coordinated attack, they focused their scorn on Mr. Dahlan, who has privately spoken of his ability to crack down on militant groups.

The New York Times

Senior diplomats in Brussels privately speak of "chaotic organisation", with a war of attrition being waged in the EU embassies abroad between heads of delegation or ambassadors and their staff who refuse to follow orders or speak to one another.

The Guardian

Though the White House denies that Mr. Bush is letting the election influence strategy, some of his aides have privately spoken about the obvious advantages of going into the last months of the election campaign with both Mr. Hussein and Mr. bin Laden in custody.

The New York Times

To an audience of magazine executives who privately spoke of their willingness to crawl on their naked bellies through the Gobi desert for a dozen paid subscribers, the news came like a long frosty drink of Evian.

The New York Times

Kurt Volker, a former U.S. ambassador to NATO and now managing director at Center for Transatlantic Relations at Johns Hopkins University in Washington, has talked of hearing members of the Obama administration privately speak out against any modification of the European embargo — but said he was not aware of how the issue had been addressed in possible American-European discussions.

The New York Times

But she privately spoke a lot about her family and clearly had tremendous respect for both Charles and David Koch.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "privately speaking" to introduce a personal opinion or disclose information that isn't intended for widespread knowledge. This sets a tone of intimacy and discretion.

Common error

Avoid using "privately speaking" in formal or professional documents. It is more suited to personal conversations or informal settings where a sense of confidentiality is appropriate.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "privately speaking" functions as an adverbial phrase, modifying a statement by indicating that it is being made in a confidential or personal manner. Ludwig indicates that the phrase is correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "privately speaking" is a grammatically sound phrase used to introduce thoughts shared confidentially or personally. While Ludwig confirms its usability, its occurrence is relatively rare, primarily appearing in news and media contexts. When aiming for a more formal tone, alternatives such as "confidentially" or "off the record" are recommended. Remember to reserve its usage for conversational and informal scenarios to maintain the appropriate register.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Speaking confidentially

Replaces "privately" with "confidentially", emphasizing the secrecy aspect.

In confidence

Uses a prepositional phrase to indicate something said in secrecy.

Off the record

Indicates information not meant for public disclosure.

Between you and me

A conversational phrase emphasizing shared secrecy.

To be frank

Signals a candid, potentially private opinion.

Personally speaking

Focuses on a personal viewpoint rather than secrecy.

In private

Specifies an action done away from public view.

Unofficially

Suggests something said without formal endorsement.

Just between us

Emphasizes the exclusive nature of the conversation.

In secrecy

Highlights the element of hiddenness.

FAQs

How can I use "privately speaking" in a sentence?

You can use "privately speaking" to preface a confidential thought, as in, "Privately speaking, I think the new policy will be ineffective."

What's a more formal alternative to "privately speaking"?

For a more formal tone, consider using phrases like "confidentially" or "off the record" depending on the context.

When is it appropriate to use "privately speaking"?

It is most appropriate in informal conversations when sharing a personal opinion or sensitive information that you don't want widely known.

What phrases are similar in meaning to "privately speaking"?

Similar phrases include "between you and me", "just between us", or "in confidence", each emphasizing a degree of secrecy or personal sharing.