nonproprietary

adjective

non·​pro·​pri·​e·​tary ˌnän-prə-ˈprī-ə-ˌter-ē How to pronounce nonproprietary (audio)
: not proprietary
nonproprietary technology
The open-source movement gave us nonproprietary platforms, browsers, and frameworks such as Linux, Firefox, and Drupal.Monika Bauerlein and Clara Jeffery

Examples of nonproprietary in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Using mCODE’s common data language and open-source, nonproprietary model, organizations can access and analyze data from various EHR systems, including essential data that can be hard to find today, such as patients’ cancer stages or the outcome of specific treatments. Jay J. Schnitzer, STAT, 1 Feb. 2023 This has something to do with the rise of polarization—there are simply fewer swing voters to identify and convince—and something to do with the ubiquity of nonproprietary political information online, which allows ordinary voters and politicians to come up with strategies themselves. Benjamin Wallace-Wells, The New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2021 Since its inception, the internet has been a nonproprietary, universal language that any computer can use to speak to any other. Gabriel Nicholas, Washington Post, 24 June 2022 In 2012, Massachusetts voters passed a similar ballot measure that, for the first time, required automakers to use nonproprietary onboard diagnostics ports on every vehicle. Aarian Marshall, Wired, 3 Feb. 2022 But the chilly excesses of Melania’s Christmas decorations and the ghostly abstraction of these videos reveal just how much further outside all such nonproprietary conventions the Trumps are than previous inhabitants of the White House have been. David Roth, The New Republic, 19 Dec. 2019 His office plans to continue developing the nonproprietary open source code, perhaps making it available to other agencies to use. Matt Stiles, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2019 This willingness to share nonproprietary data to help cities better maintain and operate infrastructure is an about-face from the Uber of the past. Johana Bhuiyan, Recode, 11 Apr. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nonproprietary.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1891, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nonproprietary was in 1891

Dictionary Entries Near nonproprietary

Cite this Entry

“Nonproprietary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nonproprietary. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

nonproprietary

adjective
non·​pro·​pri·​etary -prə-ˈprī-ə-ˌter-ē How to pronounce nonproprietary (audio)
: not proprietary
a drug's nonproprietary name

Legal Definition

nonproprietary

adjective
non·​pro·​pri·​e·​tary
ˌnän-prə-ˈprī-ə-ˌter-ē
: not proprietary
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