proprietary

noun

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pro·pri·e·tary | \ prə-ˈprī-ə-ˌter-ē

plural proprietaries

Definition of proprietary

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

adjective

pro·pri·e·tary | \ prə-ˈprī-ə-ˌter-ē

Definition of proprietary (Entry 2 of 2)

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? More Example Sentences Learn More About proprietary

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. See More

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective The Emerge network was built with the permission from their tenants to use their confidential data for specified purposes that do not impinge on proprietary data. — Steve Banker, Forbes, 3 Aug. 2022 The spa's Agave Massage can expect a proprietary blend of extracts in a topical treatment to moisturize against the dry desert heat. — Zee Krstic, Good Housekeeping, 29 July 2022 SeaCo won’t say, other than a proprietary blend of six legumes, including peas, lentils, soy and fava beans. — San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 July 2022 Revitabrow advanced eyebrow serum contains a proprietary blend of peptides, Biotin, lipids, panthenol and green tea extract with ginseng, calendula, amino acids and B vitamins. — Ingrid Schmidt, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 July 2022 Netflix, remember, publishes four charts based on its proprietary data every Tuesday. — Andy Meek, BGR, 20 July 2022 Variety Intelligence Platform is an example of Variety’s growing investment in deep-dive proprietary data and forensic financial analysis of media and entertainment. — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 9 June 2022 The company acknowledged that the attackers stole employee authentication credentials and some proprietary data. — Lily Hay Newman, Wired, 15 Mar. 2022 The attorney general has kept silent even as Mr. Durham has accused outside researchers of accessing proprietary internet data concerning Mr. Trump, reigniting disputes over the probe. — Sadie Gurman, WSJ, 9 Mar. 2022 See More

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

History and Etymology for proprietary

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

Learn More About proprietary

Dictionary Entries Near proprietary

proprietarily

proprietary

proprietary colony

Statistics for proprietary

Cite this Entry

“Proprietary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/proprietary. Accessed 10 Aug. 2022.

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More Definitions for proprietary

proprietary

noun

pro·pri·e·tary | \ p(r)ə-ˈprī-ə-ˌter-ē

plural proprietaries

Medical Definition of proprietary

(Entry 1 of 2)

: 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

adjective

Medical Definition of proprietary (Entry 2 of 2)

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

proprietary

noun

pro·pri·e·tary | \ prə-ˈprī-ə-ˌter-ē

plural proprietaries

Legal Definition of proprietary

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

adjective

Legal Definition of proprietary (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : 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