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

According to a 2023 analysis, PBMs collect more than 40 cents of every dollar spent on brand-name medicines by commercial health plans. —Sally Pipes, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025

Deals on big-name brands including Vionic, Teva, and Ugg, as well as brand-name designers like Franco Sarto and Calvin Klein, start at just $20. —Asia London Palomba, Travel + Leisure, 10 July 2025

Noun

An immunization nurse holds a Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine (brand name: Comirnaty) at Borinquen Health Care Center on May 29, 2025, in Miami, Fla. —Tim Ryan, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 July 2025

These institutions offer world-class research, respected brand names, and — crucially — more seats. —Gerald Bradshaw, Chicago Tribune, 3 July 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