proprietary

proprietary — adjective

1. relating to the state of owning something, or showing the attitude or behaviour

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

relating to the state of owning something, or showing the attitude or behaviour typical of an owner.

Example

The lawyer explained the proprietary rights that the artist holds over her original paintings.

collocation: proprietary rights

Nicholas felt proprietary pride as he walked through the warehouse he had founded.

collocation: proprietary pride

Common collocations
  • proprietary rights
  • proprietary interest
  • proprietary claim
  • proprietary pride
  • proprietary air
  • proprietary attachment
Synonyms

Common Mistakes

The company has proprietary over the building.
The company has proprietary rights over the building.
in adjective use, 'proprietary' must modify a noun; do not use it as a noun on its own. (Note: 'proprietary' also has a separate noun form meaning a rights holder or patented product.)

2. describes a product, design, or information item that a particular company creat

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

describes a product, design, or information item that a particular company creates and distributes while holding exclusive legal rights to it, such as a trademark, patent, or copyright.

Example

The hospital uses a proprietary software system that only one company supplies and maintains.

collocation: proprietary software

Hyun refused to share the proprietary formula for the sauce, calling it a trade secret.

collocation: proprietary formula / trade secret

Common collocations
  • proprietary software
  • proprietary technology
  • proprietary formula
  • proprietary data
  • proprietary system
  • proprietary product
  • proprietary code
  • proprietary design
  • proprietary protocol
Synonyms
  • patented

    narrower — only refers to inventions protected by a patent

  • trademarked

    narrower — only refers to names and logos protected by a trademark

  • exclusive

    broader — can refer to any right held by one party, not necessarily legally protected

Antonyms
  • open-source

    software whose code is publicly available and can be modified by anyone

  • public-domain

    creative works free for anyone to use, not protected by copyright

Usage Note

Often collocates with nouns related to technology and intellectual property: software, system, technology, formula, data, code, design, protocol. Frequently appears in business and legal contexts.

Common Mistakes

I bought a proprietary from the store.
I bought a proprietary product from the store.
when used as an adjective, 'proprietary' needs a following noun, though it can be used as a noun in specific contexts.

proprietary — noun

Word family

  • proprietor
    nounB2
  • proprietorship
    nounC1
  • proprietorial
    adjectiveC1
  • proprietorially
    adverbC2
  • proprietress
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/2

"Proprietary" is the broadest of these terms — it covers any product, design, or information that a company keeps under its exclusive legal control, whether through patents, trademarks, copyrights, or trade secrets. "Patented" is narrower: it applies only to inventions or processes formally registered with a patent office for a limited period. "Trademarked" is narrower still, referring only to names, logos, or slogans registered to identify a brand. "Exclusive" is broader and less legal — it simply means that only one party has the right to use or sell something, but that right may come from a private agreement rather than intellectual-property law. For example, a company's proprietary software may contain patented algorithms and a trademarked interface, but the term "proprietary" captures the whole package of secrecy and legal protection. A clothing brand might have an exclusive deal with one retailer — that is a business arrangement, not a proprietary claim.

proprietary ↗patentedtrademarkedexclusive ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • proprietary software
  • proprietary technology
  • proprietary formula
  • proprietary data
  • proprietary system
  • proprietary product
  • proprietary code
  • proprietary design
  • proprietary protocol
  • proprietary rights
  • proprietary interest
  • proprietary information

Phrases

  • proprietary and confidential
  • proprietary trading desk

Etymology

LatinAnglo-FrenchEnglish

The word "proprietary" comes from Late Latin 'proprietarius', meaning 'an owner of property', which in turn comes from Latin 'proprietas' (property, ownership), from 'proprius' (one's own, private). It entered English in the 15th century through Anglo-French legal terminology, first as a noun referring to an owner or proprietor, and later developed its adjective senses. The espionage sense (a cover company) emerged in the 20th century within US intelligence circles.