private

An access modifier that lets a member be used only inside the class or struct that declares it.

What is private in C#?

private — An access modifier that lets a member be used only inside the class or struct that declares it.

class Account
{
    private int balance = 20;

    public int Balance()
    {
        return balance;   // allowed: inside Account
    }
}

// new Account().balance won't compile: balance is private

Level: Journeyman · More C# terms at this level

Updated October 19, 2026