trade secret

noun

Updated on: 20 Apr 2018

Definition of trade secret

: 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

See trade secret defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of trade secret from the Web

The state agency doesn’t release data by individual insurance companies, asserting protection of trade secrets.

— OrlandoSentinel.com, "Florida corrects Hurricane Irma property-loss estimate: $1.2B higher," 12 Apr. 2018
The Section 301 report relays the story of SolarWorld, a maker of solar panels that claims its trade secrets were stolen.

— The Economist, "America’s gripes with China make a deal hard to imagine," 12 Apr. 2018
The plan to apply 25% tariffs to about $50 billion worth of goods aims to punish China for its theft of trade secrets, including software, patents and other technology.

— clare foran, CNN, "Trump says US 'sealing up' southern border, demands China 'end unfair trade'," 7 Apr. 2018
In January, a federal court in Wisconsin convicted a Chinese manufacturer of wind turbines, Sinovel Wind Group, of stealing trade secrets from the American company AMSC and nearly putting it out of business.

— paul wiseman, Time, "Trump Proposes Tariffs on $50 Billion in Chinese Electronics Imports," 5 Apr. 2018
In January, a federal court in Wisconsin convicted a Chinese manufacturer of wind turbines, Sinovel Wind Group, of stealing trade secrets from the American company AMSC and nearly putting it out of business.

— samuel chamberlain, Fox News, "US proposes extra tariffs on $50B in Chinese products to protest tech theft," 4 Apr. 2018
Trump has argued that the Chinese government forces U.S. companies to surrender proprietary technology to gain access to the Chinese market, resulting in the theft of trade secrets.

— emily rauhala, Anchorage Daily News, "China fires back at Trump with the threat of tariffs on 106 U.S. products," 4 Apr. 2018
In January, a federal court in Wisconsin convicted a Chinese manufacturer of wind turbines, Sinovel Wind Group, of stealing trade secrets from the American company AMSC and nearly putting it out of business.

— paul wiseman, chicagotribune.com, "U.S. proposes tariffs on $50 billion in Chinese imports," 3 Apr. 2018
It could be considered a violation protecting employees from being forced to give up trade secrets from previous jobs.

— nicholas thompson and fred vogelstein, WIRED, "A Hurricane Flattens Facebook," 20 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'trade secret.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of trade secret

1825

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

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TRADE SECRET Defined for English Language Learners

trade secret

noun

Definition of trade secret for English Language Learners

: something (such as a special way of doing or making something) that is known only by the company that uses it and is protected from competitors

Law Dictionary

trade secret

noun trade se·cret

legal Definition of trade secret

: 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.