trademark
Americannoun
-
trademarks
plural
-
any name, symbol, figure, letter, word, or mark adopted and used by a manufacturer or merchant in order to designate specific goods and to distinguish them from those manufactured or sold by others. A trademark is proprietary and is usually registered with the Patent and Trademark Office to assure its exclusive use by its owner or licensee.
-
a distinctive mark or feature particularly characteristic of or identified with a person or thing (often used attributively).
her trademark wit and sarcasm.
verb (used with object)
-
trademarks,
present (3rd person singular)
-
trademarked,
past participle, past
-
trademarking
present participle
-
to stamp or otherwise place a trademark designation upon.
-
to register the trademark of.
noun
-
the name or other symbol used to identify the goods produced by a particular manufacturer or distributed by a particular dealer and to distinguish them from products associated with competing manufacturers or dealers. A trademark that has been officially registered and is therefore legally protected is known as a Registered Trademark
-
any distinctive sign or mark of the presence of a person or animal
verb
-
to label with a trademark
-
to register as a trademark
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
trademarksimple
-
trademarkssimple
-
have trademarkedperfect
-
has trademarkedperfect
-
am trademarkingprogressive
-
are trademarkingprogressive
-
is trademarkingprogressive
-
have been trademarkingperfect progressive
-
has been trademarkingperfect progressive
Past
-
trademarkedsimple
-
had trademarkedperfect
-
was trademarkingprogressive
-
were trademarkingprogressive
-
had been trademarkingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of trademark
Explanation
A trademark is a distinctive feature of something or someone, and to trademark is to brand something, especially in a legal sense. You know how a comedian often has a particular joke she's famous for? That's her trademark. A trademark is something specific to a person that can be used to identify her. The legal sense of trademark is an official representation of a business or product that only they can legally use — like the Nike swoosh or their motto "Just do it."
Vocabulary lists containing trademark
Economics
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Flush
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Mardi Gras: Faith
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
But this presentation, spanning a quarter-century and featuring more than 100 objects, shows that a popular visual trademark does not a great artist make.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
"Now, he's taking on an entirely new challenge as he joins the ranks of the Gladiators, bringing his trademark physicality and competitive spirit to one of television's toughest arenas."
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
His trademark quips are a coping mechanism for his insecurity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
It also said it had sold off the trademark and other assets related to Maple Street Biscuit Co. a fast-casual chain it had owned, and said it would close that chain’s 16 remaining locations.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
Jasper Jr. gave me one of his trademark sneers and took off running.
From "Flush" by Carl Hiaasen
Here we read of “a dashing figure, whose trademarks include a field marshal’s cap, gold-rimmed sunglasses like those worn by movie stars and his signature corncob pipe.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026
The director’s trademarks haven’t been this thrilling in years, with Janusz Kamiński’s camera doing tricks that rival his most awe-inspiring work, and John Williams’ score ratcheting the tension in chase scenes and action sequences.
From Salon ● Jun. 13, 2026
FIFA's trademarks, names and symbols are protected by penalties for the unauthorized sale of World Cup merchandise.
From Barron's ● Jun. 6, 2026
Many Brazilians, he says, are creating capybara trademarks and logos.
From Slate ● May 27, 2026
Such cooperation was one of the important trademarks of Homo sapiens, and gave it a crucial edge over other human species.
From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari
The European Court of Justice confirmed that decision, saying the name OpenAI was not sufficiently distinctive to be trademarked.
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026
It’s exactly the kind of expanding, heart-filling rock ‘n’ roll ballad that Springsteen has practically trademarked at this point.
From Salon ● May 28, 2026
The nonprofit recently trademarked its name and is in the process of copyrighting its livestream.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 2, 2026
Her team argued that there were similarities between the singer's trademarked designs and the company's mark, and that it could mislead consumers into thinking that Swift had endorsed the products.
From BBC ● Feb. 15, 2026
And, to continue the analogy, you cannot establish a name in a day or two, any more than the manufacturer can make his trademarked goods universally known in a short period.
From The Art of Stage Dancing The Story of a Beautiful and Profitable Profession by Wayburn, Ned
EU regulations do not allow trademarking a brand that simply describes a product or service, as that would mean competitors could no longer use those terms in their advertising.
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026
But Hopkins didn’t have the name recognition to justify trademarking “Cocky.”
From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026
Matthew McConaughey is trademarking himself to fight AI fakes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 14, 2026
“Somebody probably already beat me to that,” Sanders said of trademarking “hot garbage.”
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 10, 2023
The name was chosen because of difficulties Intel had in trademarking a number.
From The Jargon File, Version 4.2.2, 20 Aug 2000 by Steele, Guy L.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
