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

Studios worried about their intellectual property being misused, and actors feared becoming little more than raw material for AI systems -- and made it a central plank of their strike action in 2023.

From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026

Powers also responded to surveillance concerns by clarifying that his company’s software only blocks the printer from making prohibited parts — it doesn’t flag them to authorities or log users’ intellectual property.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2026

Tilray bought Brewdog's brand, intellectual property, UK breweries and 11 bars.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026

And the no-risk benefits of corporate-owned intellectual property became apparent in the early 2000s with the “Harry Potter” and “Lord of the Rings” series, both enormous successes for Warner Bros.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

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

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton