noun
privateer
pry-vuh-TEER/ˌpraɪvəˈtɪr/
A privately operating raider authorized to attack an enemy's shipping.
The privateer carries government orders authorizing attacks on enemy merchant ships.
Etymology
Private identifies the ship’s individual ownership, even though it usually operated under state commission. The noun was probably formed on the model of volunteer or buccaneer.
In context
The American privateer, Rattlesnake brought in over $2 million in British goods over the war.
More examples
- He becomes a privateer after receiving a government commission.
- The merchants equip a privateer to capture enemy cargo ships.
- Unlike pirates, privateers operate with a government's permission.
Forms
privateer · privateers
privateering noun — Authorized raiding of enemy ships for profit.
Similar words
- pirate
- Attacks or robs ships without authorization from a government.
- raider
- Broader term for an attacker, without implying official authorization.