189 occupants of houses in a south eastern suburb of Melbourne defined what the word “privacy” meant to them. Inspection of the definitions suggested that there were seven concepts related to privacy: Territory and possession; Noise, Intrusion (especially visual intrusion); Relationship with neighbours; Solitude; Intimacy; and Freedom. Men mentioned the need for fences significantly more often than women, and younger respondents mentioned fences more often than older respondents. The significance of the results for future research is discussed.