brand-name

1 of 2

adjective

ˈbran(d)-ˈnām 

1

: of or relating to a brand name

brand-name products

2

: having a well-known and usually highly regarded or marketable name

brand-name authors

the … party lacks brand-name guests or good food

—Ryan Lizza

brand name

2 of 2

noun

1

: an arbitrarily adopted name that is given by a manufacturer or merchant to an article or service to distinguish it as produced or sold by that manufacturer or merchant and that may be used and protected as a trademark

2

: one having a well-known and usually highly regarded or marketable name

Examples of brand-name in a Sentence

Noun

The drug is sold under several brand names.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Yet the stumbles under Davis that would’ve qualified as successes elsewhere struck at the core identity of a program with national brand-name relevance and ties to some of the sport’s biggest names like Smith, Williams, James Worthy, Michael Jordan and Vince Carter. —Aaron Beard, Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026

Typically, generics sell for less than brand-name drugs, but this situation did not follow the usual pattern. —Ed Silverman, STAT, 17 Mar. 2026

Noun

This isn’t about investing in the big brand name that everybody is talking about at a cocktail party. —Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 24 Mar. 2026

Luchs would not comment on what that entails or whether the new owners could use the famous brand name to promote the restaurant. —Richard Guzman, Daily News, 20 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1887, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1922, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for brand-name

• acclaim
• aflame
• airframe
• ballgame
• became
• declaim
• defame
• disclaim
• doorframe
• exclaim
• inflame
• mainframe

Legal Definition

brand name

noun

: trade name