brand
brand — noun
1. something a company sells under a special name so people can tell it apart from
something a company sells under a special name so people can tell it apart from competing goods or services.
Amara chose the cheaper store brand instead of the famous one.
store brand / famous brand
This phone brand became popular after its low-cost model went viral.
product + brand
Diego trusts that coffee brand because his family has bought it for years.
trust + a brand
The hotel launched a new travel brand for young business guests.
launch a new brand
- store brand
- luxury brand
- global brand
- launch a new brand
- make
common for manufactured goods such as cars or machines, and slightly more technical
- label
often focuses on the named line or fashion identity rather than the product itself
- product line
a group of related products from one company, broader than one named item
Usage Note
Often modified by the product type before it, as in 'coffee brand' or 'phone brand'. Distinguish from noun/2, which is about the impression attached to a company or product, not the product line itself.
Common Mistakes
2. the overall impression or character that people associate with a company, organi
the overall impression or character that people associate with a company, organization, or product.
After the recall, the brand suffered because parents no longer trusted it.
brand = public impression
Warm colors gave the cafe a friendly local brand image.
brand image
The ad agency refreshed the bank's brand before the national launch.
refresh a brand
Black boxes with gold letters are central to the watch company's brand.
central to a brand
- brand image
- brand identity
- refresh a brand
- protect the brand
- image
the closest everyday word, but it does not specifically suggest marketing
- identity
often includes planned visual style and values, not just public reaction
- reputation
focuses more on what people think after experience, less on designed style
Usage Note
Common in marketing and business writing. Distinguish from noun/1: noun/1 names the sellable line, while this sense describes the image or values attached to it.
Common Mistakes
3. a recognizable kind of thing or a style of doing it, especially one strongly ass
a recognizable kind of thing or a style of doing it, especially one strongly associated with someone.
That joke is exactly Theo's brand of dry humor.
brand of + noun
The school offers a hands-on brand of art education with paint and clay.
offer a brand of + activity
Her mother's brand of kindness includes strict rules and early bedtimes.
brand of + quality
The club plays a fast brand of football in every match.
play a brand of football
- brand of humor
- brand of politics
- brand of football
- brand of kindness
Grammar Patterns
a brand of + noun
Usage Note
Very often appears in the pattern 'a brand of + noun', such as 'a brand of humor' or 'a brand of politics'. Distinguish from noun/1, which is about commercial products sold under a name.
Common Mistakes
4. the public image linked to a person, or the version of themselves they intention
the public image linked to a person, or the version of themselves they intentionally show other people.
One angry TV interview ruined the singer's sweet brand.
person + brand for public image
Online, Wren's brand is playful, honest, and easy to trust.
someone's brand is + adjectives
Hospital visits and charity concerts became part of the actor's brand.
part of someone's brand
After joining the bank, Bao dropped his old rebel brand.
drop a former brand
- personal brand
- build a personal brand
- protect one's brand
- online brand
Usage Note
Mostly used for public figures, influencers, or people who carefully manage how others see them. Distinguish from noun/2, which is about companies or products rather than individuals.
Common Mistakes
5. a burning or half-burned piece of wood carried for light.
a burning or half-burned piece of wood carried for light.
Noa carried a brand through the cave after the lamp broke.
historical object used for light
A single brand still glowed beside the cold fire pit.
brand + glowed
The guard raised a smoking brand above the city gate.
smoking brand
Esme lit the dark path with a pine brand.
light a path with a brand
- carry a brand
- smoking brand
- glowing brand
Usage Note
Mostly found in older writing, myths, or historical scenes. In modern everyday English, 'torch' is the usual word for something carried to give light.
6. a permanent sign burned or frozen onto an animal's skin to show ownership.
a permanent sign burned or frozen onto an animal's skin to show ownership.
The ranch brand on the calf matched the mark on the barn door.
ranch brand
Inspectors checked each cow's brand before the sale began.
check a cow's brand
A fresh brand showed that the horse came from another farm.
fresh brand
Before the auction, ranchers recorded each calf's brand in a ledger.
record a brand
- cattle brand
- ranch brand
- check the brand
- record a brand
Usage Note
Used mainly in ranching and cattle-trading contexts. Distinguish from verb/3, which names the action of making the mark rather than the mark itself.
Common Mistakes
on brand
idiomThis describes something that fits the image a company wants to show to the public.
The new advertisement is completely on brand for our company.
Is this logo design on brand with our current marketing strategy?
brand — verb
1. to give a product, group, person, or place a clear name and style so people noti
to give a product, group, person, or place a clear name and style so people notice it and remember it.
The studio branded the festival with bright posters and a short slogan.
brand + object + with + design feature
City leaders branded the town as a food destination for weekend visitors.
brand + object + as + identity
Aiko branded her online shop around handmade soap and simple design.
brand + object + around + idea
By spring, the beach town was branded as an art stop.
passive: be branded as
- brand with a logo
- brand as a destination
- brand around an idea
- carefully branded campaign
Grammar Patterns
brand something with + name/design
brand something as + identity
brand something around + idea
Usage Note
Common in marketing, tourism, and business planning. The object is often followed by 'with' for visual features, 'as' for the identity chosen, or 'around' for the main idea.
Common Mistakes
2. to stick a bad public label on a person or thing, especially in an unfair way.
to stick a bad public label on a person or thing, especially in an unfair way.
Several papers branded the coach a cheat before the inquiry ended.
brand + object + noun
Critics branded the film offensive after one short scene leaked.
brand + object + adjective
Online rumors branded the café unsafe though no one got sick.
pass judgment in public
One speech branded Mira an enemy of tradition.
brand someone + noun phrase
- brand someone a traitor
- brand something unsafe
- widely branded
- publicly branded
- label
the nearest general verb, often less forceful than 'brand'
- stigmatize
more formal and strongly focused on lasting social shame
- smear
stresses an unfair public attack, often as a political act
Grammar Patterns
brand someone a liar
brand something dangerous
Usage Note
Usually followed directly by the object and then a noun or adjective. Distinguish from verb/1: this sense gives a negative judgment, while verb/1 is a planned marketing action.
Common Mistakes
3. to press a hot or cold tool onto an animal so an ownership mark stays on its ski
to press a hot or cold tool onto an animal so an ownership mark stays on its skin.
Ranch workers branded the calves before moving them to the north field.
brand livestock
The farmer branded one young bull with a new iron.
brand + animal + with + iron
In winter, some crews brand cattle with freezing tools instead.
freeze-branding context
At dawn, the team branded the horses beside the river fence.
brand horses
- brand cattle
- brand calves
- branding iron
- freshly branded
Grammar Patterns
brand cattle
brand a calf with an iron
Usage Note
The object is nearly always cattle, horses, calves, or similar farm animals. Distinguish from noun/6, where 'brand' is the finished mark on the animal.
Common Mistakes
Word family
- brandedadjectiveC1
- brandingnounC1
- rebrandverbC1
- rebrandingnounC1
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
For products, 'brand' is the broad everyday word for something sold under a known company name. 'Make' is common for manufactured goods such as cars, cameras, or engines, and sounds a little more technical: people ask about the make of a car, not usually its brand. 'Label' often points to the named line itself, especially in fashion, music, or luxury goods, and can feel more style-focused. 'Trademark' is narrower and legal: it is the protected name, sign, or logo, not the whole product line. So you might buy a trusted shoe brand, compare the make of two printers, follow an independent fashion label, or register a trademark for a new logo.
Common collocations
Nouns
- brand name
- brand image
- brand identity
- store brand
- luxury brand
Adverbs
- carefully branded
- widely branded
Phrases
- build a brand
- launch a new brand
- be branded as
- protect the brand
Prepositions
- brand as
- brand with
- under a brand name
Etymology
'Brand' came into English from Old Norse 'brandr', a word for a burning piece of wood and also, in older use, a sword. The oldest everyday English sense was the burning stick. Because hot irons were used to leave ownership marks on animals and goods, the word soon widened to mean the mark itself and then the act of making it. Much later, that idea of a visible identifying mark developed into the modern business sense: a name or identity that shows where a product comes from and helps people recognize it.