A privateer was a private person authorized by a country's government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping. Privateering was an accepted part of naval warfare from the 16th to the 19th centuries, authorised by all significant naval powers.

Notable privateers included:

• Wetheman (active 1151/52 – c.1170), Danish, Wendish Crusade
• Victual Brothers or Vitalians or Likedeelers 1360–1401
• Gödeke Michels (leader of the Likedeelers) 1360–1401
• Klaus Störtebeker, Wismar, (leader of the Likedeelers), 1360–1401
• Didrik Pining, German, c. 1428–1491
• Paul Beneke, German, born in Hanseatic City of Danzig, Pomerelia c. 1440s–1490s
• Kemal Reis, Turkish, c. 1451–1511
• Oruç Reis (Barbarossa), Turkish, c. 1474–1518
• Barbarossa Hayreddin Pasha, Turkish, 1478–1546
• Turgut Reis (Dragut), Turkish, c. 1485–1565
• Timoji, Hindu, 1496–1513
• Murat Reis the Older, Turkish, c. 1506–1609
• Sir Francis Drake, English, c. 1540–1596
• Sir George Somers, English 1554–1610
• Captain Christopher Newport, English, c. 1561–1617
• Magnus Heinason, Faroese, c. 1568–1578 privateer in Dutch service under the Dutch revolt and 1580s, and privateer and merchant in Danish service on the Faroe Islands c. 1578–1589
• Piet Hein, Dutch, 1577–1629
• Alonso de Contreras, Spanish, 1582–1641, privateer against the Turks under the banner of the Order of Malta and later commanded Spanish ships
• James Erisey, English, 1585–1590s
• Peter Easton, England/Newfoundland, c. 1611–1614
• Sir Henry Morgan, Welsh, 1635–1688
• Jean Bart, French, 1651–1702
• William Dampier, English, 1652–1715
• William Kidd, Scottish, c. 1654–1701
• Nicolas Baeteman, Dunkirker 1659–1720
• Alexander Dalzeel, Scotland, c. 1662–1715
• René Duguay-Trouin, French, 1673–1736
• Kanhoji Angre, Maratha, 1698–1729
• Lars Gathenhielm, Swedish, 1710–1718
• Ingela Gathenhielm, Swedish, 1710/18–1721
• Fortunatus Wright, English of Liverpool, 1712–1757
• David Hawley, colonial United States, 1741–1807
• Jonathan Haraden, colonial United States, 1744–1803
• William Death, English, 1756
• Alexander Godfrey, colonial Nova Scotia, 1756–1803
• Jose Campuzano-Polanco, colonial Santo Domingo, 1689-1760
• Etienne Pellot, aka "the Basque Fox", French, 1765–1856
• Noah Stoddard, United States, 1755-1850
• Robert Surcouf, French, 1773–1827
• John Goodrich (1722-1785), Loyalist privateer in the American Revolution
• David McCullough, colonial United States, 1777-1778
• Jean Gaspard Vence, French, –1783
• Joseph Barss, Colonial Nova Scotia, 1776–1824
• Jean Lafitte 1776–1854, French Louisiana hero in the Gulf of Mexico
• John Ordronaux (privateer), United States, 1778–1841
• Ephraim Sturdivant, United States, 1782–1868
• Hipólito Bouchard, Argentina, 1783–1843
• Otway Burns, North Carolina, United States 1775–1850