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.

---

intellectual property British  

noun

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

---

Etymology

Origin of intellectual property

An Americanism dating back to 1840–45

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

intellectual property

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

Publishers have taken varied approaches to the rise of generative AI, in some cases making licensing deals with tech companies, and in other cases suing to protect their intellectual property.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

“ByteDance respects the intellectual property rights that underpin creative industries around the world, and we believe responsible innovation in AI goes hand in hand with meaningful protections for rightsholders,” ByteDance’s Rogovin said in the statement.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026

We’d tackled gun control, the meaning of intellectual property, the structure of American education, and the future of networked computing.

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