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

Antioxidant-rich maritime pine bark extract, sometimes referred to by the brand name Pycnogenol, may also work. —Sam Manzella, Flow Space, 10 Sep. 2025

Right now, the studio seems focused on delivering quality, memorable, and creative games that people want to play not just because of the brand name splash screen that will appear before the main menu. —David Jagneaux, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 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