intellectual property

American  

noun

1. Law. property that results from original creative thought, as patents, copyright material, and trademarks.

2. an individual product of original creative thought.

   Microsoft’s Halo franchise is one of the most profitable intellectual properties in the video game industry.

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intellectual property British  

noun

1. an intangible asset, such as a copyright or patent

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Etymology

Origin of intellectual property

An Americanism dating back to 1840–45

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

intellectual property

And, even though both sides try to put up legal boundaries to protect their intellectual property, consumer-goods companies with private-label partnerships can end up tipping their hand to retailers.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026

The arrest was part of an investigation into the possible transfer of intellectual property and trade secrets from a Belgian semiconductor company to a Chinese company, prosecutors said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2026

In an Instagram post, the company said it had no involvement in the game and warned that it takes unauthorized use of its intellectual property seriously.

From Salon ● Sep. 5, 2026

They were soon joined by another Polytechnique alumnus, Thomas Wolf, a wide-ranging talent who holds a doctorate in quantum physics and also worked as an intellectual property lawyer.

From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026

As mass media has grown corporatized—with journalism, publishing, moviemaking, and the music business getting sold and merged into fewer and larger monoliths— geeks feel ever more entitled to take whatever intellectual property they want.

From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz