proprietary

1 of 2

noun

pro·​pri·​e·​tary prə-ˈprī-ə-ˌter-ē How to pronounce proprietary (audio)
plural proprietaries
1
: one that possesses, owns, or holds exclusive right to something
specifically : proprietor sense 1
2
: something that is used, produced, or marketed under exclusive legal right of the inventor or maker
specifically : a drug (such 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

proprietary

2 of 2

adjective

pro·​pri·​e·​tary prə-ˈprī-ə-ˌter-ē How to pronounce proprietary (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or characteristic of an owner or title holder
proprietary rights
2
: used, made, or marketed by one having the exclusive legal right
a proprietary process
proprietary software
3
: privately owned and managed and run as a profit-making organization
a proprietary clinic

Did you know?

A proprietary process is a manufacturing process that others are forbidden to use, and a proprietary trademark is a name that only the owner can use. Legal rights of this kind are ensured by copyrights and patents. After a certain period of time, inventions and processes lose their legal protection, cease to be proprietary, and enter the "public domain", meaning that everyone can use them freely. Baseball fans often take a proprietary attitude toward their favorite team—that is, they behave more or less as if they own it, even though the only thing they may own is the right to yell from a bleacher seat till the end of a game.

Examples of proprietary in a Sentence

Adjective By allowing less favorable results to remain buried, the agency puts proprietary interests ahead of the public interest, and doctors and the public come to believe prescription drugs are better than they are. That should stop. Marcia Angell, New York Review of Books, 8 June 2006
It is a proprietary faith: no one better tell me what to do with my own land. Lance Morrow, Time, 11 Sept. 2000
Many veterans have adopted a proprietary attitude toward the war, and they can get a bit belligerent about it. Nicholas Proffitt, New York Times Book Review, 21 May 1989
The investors have a proprietary interest in the land. The computer comes with the manufacturer's proprietary software. “Merriam-Webster” is a proprietary name. The journalist tried to get access to proprietary information.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
And streaming services such as Spotify and Netflix could potentially market discounts within their apps to those that buy subscriptions through the services’ respective websites rather than through proprietary in-app payment systems once forced on app developers by the app stores. Brian Fung, CNN, 7 Mar. 2024 The media conglomerate has also continued to take big swings, from launching its proprietary streaming platform ITVX in Dec. 2022 to nabbing the Oscars telecast from Sky, who held the rights for two decades. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Mar. 2024 At this new facility in Eastern Market, Marrow Detroit Provisions, according to a news release, is expected to: Produce a variety of raw cuts and specialty items made from proprietary recipes for sale in Marrow locations and for distribution to partners. Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 6 Mar. 2024 Boeing has a proprietary pulsejet engine technology called Pulse Ejector Thrust Augmentor (PETA), while aircraft engine makers Pratt & Whitney and General Electric have PDE research programs that use pulsejet engines for testing concepts early in the design phase. Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 6 Mar. 2024 In 2021, a white-dial Speedy was released in Omega’s proprietary Canopus white gold. Chris Hall, WIRED, 5 Mar. 2024 Pop-Tarts followed up with a full-page ad in The Kansas City Star as well as a post on Instagram asking Swift for the proprietary recipe. Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2024 The company dropped the proprietary design of an iPhone charger because of another E.U. law, meaning future iPhones will have a charger that works with non-Apple devices. David McCabe, New York Times, 4 Mar. 2024 This includes not only patents, trademarks and copyrights but also trade secrets, confidential information and proprietary software or technologies. Expert Panel®, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024

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

Word History

Etymology

Noun

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

Adjective

Late Latin proprietarius, from Latin proprietas property — more at property

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1589, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of proprietary was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near proprietary

Cite this Entry

“Proprietary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/proprietary. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

proprietary

1 of 2 noun
pro·​pri·​etary
p(r)ə-ˈprī-ə-ˌter-ē
plural proprietaries

proprietary

2 of 2 adjective
1
a
: of or relating to a proprietor
proprietary rights
b
: resembling that of a proprietor
a proprietary pride in their hometown
2
: made and sold by one having the exclusive right to manufacture and sell
a proprietary drug
3
: privately owned and managed
a proprietary nursing home

Medical Definition

proprietary

1 of 2 noun
pro·​pri·​e·​tary p(r)ə-ˈprī-ə-ˌter-ē How to pronounce proprietary (audio)
plural proprietaries
: 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

proprietary

2 of 2 adjective
1
: used, made, or marketed by one having the exclusive legal right
a proprietary drug
2
: privately owned and managed and run as a profit-making organization
a proprietary clinic

Legal Definition

proprietary

1 of 2 noun
pro·​pri·​e·​tary prə-ˈprī-ə-ˌter-ē How to pronounce proprietary (audio)
plural proprietaries
1
: 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
2
: a business secretly owned by and run as a cover for an intelligence operation

proprietary

2 of 2 adjective
1
a
: held as property of a private owner
b
: of, relating to, or characteristic of a proprietor
proprietary rights
2
: used, made, or marketed by one having the exclusive legal right
a proprietary process
3
: privately owned and managed and run as a profit-making organization
a proprietary insurer
a proprietary clinic
4
: of or relating to the acts of a municipality which profit or benefit the municipality and for which it is answerable in negligence
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