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
By allowing traders to operate with company capital under clear rules, proprietary models seek to shift some of that emotional pressure, although performance stress and risk of loss still remain part of trading.
—
Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 5 Jan. 2026
But this time, the researchers developed a proprietary fatty acid derivative to better navigate the difficult environment of the stomach.
—Alice Park, Time, 5 Jan. 2026
Now StriVectin is entering the arena with its form-fitting, hydrogel mask that uses a proprietary peptide blend and caffeine that depuff and tone the neck and jawline in 20 minutes.
—Jackie Fields, PEOPLE, 5 Jan. 2026
The brand puts its proprietary Rippy material to use in a bunch of silhouettes across its entire lineup, and the Modular Windbreaker is one of its most effective applications yet.
—Will Porter, Outside, 4 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for proprietary
Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 5 Jan. 2026
But this time, the researchers developed a proprietary fatty acid derivative to better navigate the difficult environment of the stomach.
—Alice Park, Time, 5 Jan. 2026
Now StriVectin is entering the arena with its form-fitting, hydrogel mask that uses a proprietary peptide blend and caffeine that depuff and tone the neck and jawline in 20 minutes.
—Jackie Fields, PEOPLE, 5 Jan. 2026
The brand puts its proprietary Rippy material to use in a bunch of silhouettes across its entire lineup, and the Modular Windbreaker is one of its most effective applications yet.
—Will Porter, Outside, 4 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for proprietary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for proprietary
exclusive
Adjective
-
Chick-fil-A’s free breakfast offering is exclusive to the restaurant’s app, according to a news release.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
6 Jan. 2026
-
This exclusive scent has notes of refreshing grapefruit, crisp cucumbers, flower petals, and musk and lasts for approximately two months.—
Caroline Hughes,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Proprietary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/proprietary. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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