private citizen

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Mr. Clinton decided to let Carter proceed as a private citizen, thinking it might give Kim a chance to back down.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Jewish Insider published what it called an exposé revealing that the mayor’s wife Rama Duwaji, a private citizen who holds no public office, had liked social media posts sympathetic to Palestinian rights.

From Salon • Mar. 12, 2026

Susie Wiles, now White House chief of staff, also had her phone records subpoenaed when she was a private citizen as part of the investigation.

From BBC • Feb. 26, 2026

Sadie Weldon, a private citizen, sought to depose the Lilith Fund’s deputy director using a special Texas mechanism called a 202 petition that allows people to investigate a potential claim before filing suit.

From Slate • Jan. 16, 2026

But let us come to the second instance, when a private citizen becomes prince of his native city not through wickedness or any other intolerable violence, but with the favour of his fellow citizens.

From "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli