right to privacy
Expressing a legal or personal right
Use right to privacy for a person's entitlement to keep personal matters private.
Employees have a right to privacy at work.
Of privacy vs to privacy
The phrases of privacy and to privacy are not usually complete expressions by themselves. Privacy normally appears in larger patterns such as right to privacy or invasion of privacy.
Quick answer
How privacy is normally used
Privacy usually follows another noun or adjective phrase. Common combinations include right to privacy, invasion of privacy, and concerns about privacy. Of privacy and to privacy are not normally used alone as fixed expressions.
People have a right to privacy.
The article was an invasion of privacy.
Users expressed concerns about privacy online.
The article was an invasion of privacy.
Users expressed concerns about privacy online.
Choose the pattern by meaning
These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.
invasion of privacy
Describing violation of private life
Use invasion of privacy when someone's private information or space is improperly exposed.
Publishing the photos was an invasion of privacy.
concerns about privacy
Talking about worries or debates
Use about privacy after nouns such as concern, debate, or discussion.
There are growing concerns about privacy in social media apps.
privacy of + noun
Referring to a specific person's or group's privacy
Use privacy of before a noun phrase to specify whose privacy is discussed.
The law protects the privacy of children online.
See the difference in context
The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.
Construction
Example
Meaning
of privacy
The invasion of privacy shocked the family.
Of privacy usually appears after another noun such as invasion or protection.
to privacy
Everyone has a right to privacy.
To privacy is natural mainly in the phrase right to privacy.
privacy of
The privacy of patients must be respected.
This pattern specifies whose privacy is meant.
Common mistakes
Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.
Using of privacy as a complete phrase
Of privacy usually needs another noun before it.
✕ The company discussed of privacy. ✓ The company discussed privacy concerns.Using to privacy without a supporting noun
To privacy is mainly used after right or similar nouns.
✕ Citizens demand to privacy. ✓ Citizens demand a right to privacy.Quick practice
Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.
1. Everyone deserves a right ___ privacy.
2. The report described an invasion ___ privacy.
3. Parents have concerns ___ privacy online.
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Frequently asked questions
Is to privacy correct in English?
It is usually correct only in expressions such as right to privacy.
Can I say privacy of users?
Yes. Privacy of users is grammatical, especially in formal writing.
Why does privacy often follow another noun?
Privacy commonly appears in set expressions such as invasion of privacy and protection of privacy.
Related preposition guides
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