trade secret

noun

: something (such as a formula) which has economic value to a business because it is not generally known or easily discoverable by observation and for which efforts have been made to maintain secrecy

Examples of trade secret in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

And in 2022, Xiang Haitao, admitted to stealing a trade secret from Monsanto. —Lisa Song, ProPublica, 24 Mar. 2026

The company sued for theft of trade secrets, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract and fraudulent transfer. —Paul Flahive, Austin American Statesman, 17 Mar. 2026

Google also sued Uber for allegedly stealing trade secrets related to autonomous driving. —Jason Ma, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2026

Gabehart and Spire maintain Gabehart has never shared any of JGR’s proprietary data or trade secrets. —Jordan Bianchi, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1825, in the meaning defined above

Legal Definition

trade secret

noun

trade se·​cret

: a formula, process, device, or item of information used by a business that has economic value because it is not generally known or easily discovered by observation or examination and for which reasonable efforts to maintain secrecy have been made

Note: Trade secrets are a form of intellectual property. Many states have enacted laws which create an action for damages or injunctive relief against misappropriation of trade secrets by improper means. Information contained in a patent is not protected as a trade secret.