proprietary

¹pro·pri·e·tary

noun \prə-ˈprī-ə-ˌter-ē\

plural pro·pri·e·tar·ies

Definition of PROPRIETARY

1

: one that possesses, owns, or holds exclusive right to something; specifically : proprietor 1

2

: something that is used, produced, or marketed under exclusive legal right of the inventor or maker; specifically : a drug (as a patent medicine) that is protected by secrecy, patent, or copyright against free competition as to name, product, composition, or process of manufacture

3

: a business secretly owned by and run as a cover for an intelligence organization

Origin of PROPRIETARY

Middle English propietarie, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin propietarius, from Late Latin, adjective (see ²proprietary)

First Known Use: 15th century

Rhymes with PROPRIETARY

apothecary, bicentenary, confectionary, confectionery, consigliere, constabulary, contemporary, deflationary, disciplinary, discretionary, diversionary, epistolary, exclusionary, expansionary, extemporary, extraordinary, fiduciary, hereditary, illusionary, imaginary, incendiary, inflationary, insanitary, intercalary, involuntary, itinerary, judiciary, lending library, marionberry, obituary, olallieberry, on the contrary, pecuniary, pituitary, precautionary, preliminary, presidiary, probationary, provisionary, reactionary, subliterary, subsidiary, tercentenary, unnecessary, veterinary, vocabulary, voluptuary