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

While several brand-name institutions — like Princeton, Harvard, Stanford, Duke, Brown, and Middlebury — still make the list, what’s more noteworthy is that they are outpaced by schools with less distinguished reputations. —Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025

Companies push brand-name blockbuster drugs to increase profits and then write off their advertising costs, sometimes to the tune of $1.5 billion. —Alex Ward, Boston Herald, 15 Aug. 2025

Noun

Lecanemab, sold under the brand name Leqembi—which the FDA approved in 2023 as the first medication to treat the memory disorder—is now available in a self-injecting pen, Leqembi Iqlik. —Alice Park, Time, 3 Sep. 2025

The eggs were sold in cartons bearing the brand names Nagatoshi Produce, Mishuo and Nijiya Markets. —CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1935, 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