proprietary

[ pruh-prahy-i-ter-ee ]

/ prəˈpraɪ ɪˌtɛr i /

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See synonyms for proprietary on Thesaurus.com

adjective

belonging to a proprietor.

being a proprietor; holding property: the proprietary class.

pertaining to property or ownership: proprietary wealth.

belonging or controlled as property.

(of a brand name, product, service, formula, etc.) protected by a patent, copyright, or trademark: proprietary drugs; a proprietary name; a proprietary logo; a proprietary blend of ingredients.

privately owned and operated for profit: proprietary hospitals.

noun, plural pro·pri·e·tar·ies.

an owner or proprietor.

a body of proprietors.

American History. the grantee or owner, or one of the grantees or owners, of a proprietary colony.

ownership.

something owned, especially real estate.

a proprietary medicine.

Also called proprietary school . a school organized as a profit-making venture primarily to teach vocational skills or self-improvement techniques.

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Origin of proprietary

1400–50; late Middle English (noun) <Medieval Latin proprietārius owner, noun use of Late Latin: of an owner, of ownership. See propriety, -ary

OTHER WORDS FROM proprietary

pro·pri·e·tar·i·ly

[pruh-prahy-i-tair-i-lee, -prahy-i-ter-], /prəˌpraɪ ɪˈtɛər ɪ li, -ˈpraɪ ɪˌtɛr-/, adverbnon·pro·pri·e·tar·y, adjective, noun, plural non·pro·pri·e·tar·ies.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use proprietary in a sentence

There was a lot of positive feedback from people interested in non-gender binary people.
Grindr’s Trans Dating Problem|David Levesley|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
She ultimately ditched JSwipe after about a week and found her current, non-Jewish, boyfriend on OkCupid.
My Week on Jewish Tinder|Emily Shire|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
An atheist counsels his fellow non-believers on how not to talk to people of faith.
The Case Against In-Your-Face Atheism|Steve Neumann|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The distinction between over-policing and non-responsiveness was alive and well in Bed-Stuy.
Ground Zero of the NYPD Slowdown|Batya Ungar-Sargon|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Last summer, Louisiana also banned non-legal adoption, with offenders facing a penalty of $5,000 and up to five years in prison.
Judge: Rehoming Kids Is Trafficking|Tina Traster|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The expatriated ex-rebels became alarmed by the non-receipt of the indemnity instalment and the news from their homes.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
He also states that the Audiencia is virtually non-existent, and so there is no high court in which justice may be sought.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
De moi, je ne say qu'en dire, d'autant que je ne veux affirmer ny le si ny le non en ce dont je n'ay vidence.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
Certes le capitaine Merveilles et ses gens monstrerent leur pit non vulgaire.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
It teaches you to take your time, or as the Germans call it, it gives you "Ruhe (repose)," the grand sine qua non!
Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay

British Dictionary definitions for proprietary

proprietary

/ (prəˈpraɪɪtərɪ, -trɪ) /

adjective

of, relating to, or belonging to property or proprietors

privately owned and controlled

med of or denoting a drug or agent manufactured and distributed under a trade nameCompare ethical (def. 3)

noun plural -taries

med a proprietary drug or agent

a proprietor or proprietors collectively

right to property
property owned

Also called: lord proprietary (in Colonial America) an owner, governor, or grantee of a proprietary colony

Derived forms of proprietary

proprietarily, adverb

Word Origin for proprietary

C15: from Late Latin proprietārius an owner, from proprius one's own

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

Medical definitions for proprietary

proprietary

[ prə-prī′ĭ-tĕr′ē ]

adj.

Exclusively owned, as of a hospital.

Owned by an individual or corporation under a trademark or patent, as of a drug.

A proprietary medicine.

proprietary

Origin of proprietary

OTHER WORDS FROM proprietary

Words related to proprietary

How to use proprietary in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for proprietary

Derived forms of proprietary

Word Origin for proprietary

Medical definitions for proprietary