proprietary

American  

[pruh-prahy-i-ter-ee] / prəˈpraɪ ɪˌtɛr i /

adjective

1. belonging to a proprietor.

2. being a proprietor; holding property.

   the proprietary class.

3. pertaining to property or ownership.

   proprietary wealth.

4. belonging or controlled as property.

5. (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.

6. privately owned and operated for profit.

   proprietary hospitals.

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noun

proprietaries plural

1. an owner or proprietor.

2. a body of proprietors.

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

4. ownership.

5. something owned, especially real estate.

6. a proprietary medicine.

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

proprietary British  

/ prəˈpraɪɪtərɪ, -trɪ /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or belonging to property or proprietors

2. privately owned and controlled

3. med of or denoting a drug or agent manufactured and distributed under a trade name Compare ethical

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noun

1. med a proprietary drug or agent

2. a proprietor or proprietors collectively

3. 1. right to property

   2. property owned

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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• proprietarily
  adverb
• nonproprietary
  adjective

Inflected Forms

noun

• proprietaries
  plural

Etymology

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

Explanation

If you own something, especially something of value, then you have proprietary rights. The word is most often used in relation to new inventions or patents. Proprietary refers to property: things that are owned by individuals or businesses. People talk about proprietary drugs, proprietary software, and other things that can only be made and sold by those who discovered or created them. A proprietary claim is usually protected by trademark or copyright. When you say you have a proprietary right to something you're saying to everyone else: "Hands off! This is mine." Years ago, owners of small mom-and-pop stores were known as proprietors.

Example Sentences

ServiceTitan combines a vault of proprietary data with end-to-end AI integration.

From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026

Analyst Dylan Becker says management emphasized that customers rely on Descartes to solve “complex problems across enterprise that they cannot address on their own,” a dynamic strengthened by the company’s proprietary data and workflow expertise.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026

“Meanwhile, Karman provides…New Glenn launch system with an array of proprietary products.”

From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026

“There are only a few companies in the world that have a proprietary chemical-based process that makes those transparencies,” said Richard Aboulafia, managing director at aerospace consulting firm AeroDynamic Advisory.

From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2026

“This is a pretty good tree,” he observed admiringly with proprietary gratitude.

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller

Related Words

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• drug
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