privation, failing, privatization

“The Vagrants” begins on March 21, 1979 — the spring equinox — which is this careful writer’s way of telling us that a long winter of privation and darkness may be giving way, at last, to the blossomings of spring.


Senate Votes To Privatize Its Failing Restaurants
Year after year, decade upon decade, the U.S. Senate's network of restaurants has lost staggering amounts of money -- more than $18 million since 1993, according to one report, and an estimated $2 million this year alone, according to another.
(By Paul Kane, The Washington Post)

failing was found in the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary at the entries listed below.

• fail (NOT SUCCEED)
• fail (NOT DO)
• fail (NOT HELP)
• fail (EXAMINATION)
• fail (STOP)
• failing (WEAKNESS)
• failing (WITHOUT)

private (NOT OFFICIAL) Hide phonetics
adjective
controlled or paid for by a person or company and not by the government:
private education/healthcare
a private doctor/dentist
Banks should be supporting small private businesses.
The finance for the project will come from both the government and the private sector (= private businesses).

privately Hide phonetics
adverb
a privately-owned business

privatize, UK USUALLY privatise Hide phonetics
verb [T]
If a government privatizes an industry, company or service that it owns and controls, it sells it so that it becomes privately owned and controlled:
I bought shares in British Gas when it was privatized.

privatization, UK USUALLY privatisation Hide phonetics
noun [U]
The last few years have seen the privatization of many industries previously owned by the state.

privation

n.

1. 1. Lack of the basic necessities or comforts of life.
   2. The condition resulting from such lack.
2. An act, condition, or result of deprivation or loss.

[Middle English privacion, from Old French privation, from Latin prīvātiō, prīvātiōn-, from prīvātus, past participle of prīvāre, to deprive. See private.]