trade secret

American

noun

a secret process, technique, method, etc., used to advantage in a trade, business, profession, etc.

trade secret British

noun

a secret formula, technique, process, etc, known and used to advantage by only one manufacturer

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of trade secret

First recorded in 1900–05

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:

trade secret

His manager showed him the folder that contained the precious trade secret, before locking it away once more.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 18, 2026

Intellectual property concerns have landed India on the 'Priority Watch List', for which the report cites weak patent protections and a lack of trade secret laws.

From BBC ● Apr. 3, 2025

Actor Samuel L. Jackson revealed a trade secret from Bruce Willis that the actor says kept him sane during his five-decade career in Hollywood.

From Salon ● Mar. 20, 2025

We appealed that to the attorney general, and the attorney general ruled in our favor that this was not actually a trade secret and forced the police to reveal this information.

From Slate ● Feb. 22, 2024

But whether I practice Yoga, Dianetics, or write the lines on a sugarcoated pill and swallow it is my trade secret.

From The Fourth R by Smith, George Oliver

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023