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

Longo, Todd Morgan, and Sebastian Brandhorst have filed patents related to the Fasting-Mimicking Diet through the University of Southern California, which has licensed related intellectual property to L-Nutra and may receive royalty payments.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 10, 2026

The race for Hollywood to capture new-age internet intellectual property, or IP, is well underway.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026

Trademarks, unlike copyrights or patents, are intellectual property that are not premised on creating value for whoever registers them; they’re about protecting consumers.

From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026

Compulsion Games, known for "South of Midnight" and Double Fine Productions, maker of "Psychonauts," will become independent, retaining their intellectual property and game catalogs.

From Barron's ● Jul. 6, 2026

Inseparable from the idea of discovery were the ideas of progress and intellectual property.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton