as in exclusive
belonging to only one person, unit, or group and not used by or available to others
The restaurant's proprietary recipe for barbecue sauce is only known to the head chef.
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Recent Examples of proprietary
The investment is aimed at modernizing the warehouse with automation and installing Stord’s proprietary warehouse management systems and transportation management system.
—
Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 26 Feb. 2026
It’s made of a proprietary molybdenum high-carbon stainless steel and tends to hold a slightly sharper edge than the Tojiro.
—Jesse Raub, Bon Appetit Magazine, 26 Feb. 2026
The electrodes are made with a proprietary process that combines several dedicated layers which allow for a balanced flow of water and oxygen to access the active catalyst sites.
—IEEE Spectrum, 26 Feb. 2026
Using proprietary processing, the system identifies and separates spatial cues within the recording, which are then redistributed across the vehicle’s loudspeaker layout.
—Andrew P. Collins, The Drive, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for proprietary
Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 26 Feb. 2026
It’s made of a proprietary molybdenum high-carbon stainless steel and tends to hold a slightly sharper edge than the Tojiro.
—Jesse Raub, Bon Appetit Magazine, 26 Feb. 2026
The electrodes are made with a proprietary process that combines several dedicated layers which allow for a balanced flow of water and oxygen to access the active catalyst sites.
—IEEE Spectrum, 26 Feb. 2026
Using proprietary processing, the system identifies and separates spatial cues within the recording, which are then redistributed across the vehicle’s loudspeaker layout.
—Andrew P. Collins, The Drive, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for proprietary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for proprietary
exclusive
Adjective
-
Keep scrolling to shop 34 exclusive deals from Amazon’s members-only section.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
28 Feb. 2026
-
At a time when private education is becoming increasingly exclusive, our public system should be expanding high-quality options, not limiting them.—
Jacquelyn Martell,
New York Daily News,
28 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Proprietary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/proprietary. Accessed 5 Mar. 2026.
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