proprietary

1 of 2

noun

pro·​pri·​e·​tary prə-ˈprī-ə-ˌter-ē 

plural proprietaries

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

2 of 2

adjective

pro·​pri·​e·​tary prə-ˈprī-ə-ˌter-ē 

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?

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.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

All three Melts are slathered in Stacker Sauce, Burger King's proprietary mayo/ketchup mixture. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 17 Dec. 2024

The provision for training Q on proprietary data while maintaining strict security controls addresses key enterprise concerns about AI assistants. —Janakiram Msv, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024

It’s crafted with a proprietary firming matrix with color correctors that actively lift, firm, and temporarily blur imperfections. —Taylor Lane, Flow Space, 16 Dec. 2024

The models are proprietary but take into account many factors, including meteorological conditions, an area’s topography, the amount of brush and other nearby fuel, and a community’s building density. —Laurence Darmiento, Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1589, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

proprietary

1 of 2 noun

pro·​pri·​etary

p(r)ə-ˈprī-ə-ˌter-ē

plural proprietaries

: proprietor sense 1

proprietary

2 of 2 adjective

1

a

: of or relating to a proprietor

proprietary rights

b

: resembling that of a proprietor

a proprietary pride in their hometown

2

: made and sold by one having the exclusive right to manufacture and sell

a proprietary drug

3

: privately owned and managed

a proprietary nursing home

Medical Definition

proprietary

1 of 2 noun

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

plural proprietaries

: 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

2 of 2 adjective

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

Legal Definition

proprietary

1 of 2 noun

pro·​pri·​e·​tary prə-ˈprī-ə-ˌter-ē 

plural proprietaries

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

2 of 2 adjective

1

a

: 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