trade secret

American  

noun

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

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trade secret British  

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of trade secret

First recorded in 1900–05

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

trade secret

OpenAI hit back at Apple after the iPhone-maker accused it of trade secret theft.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 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

The fee varies from industry to industry, and the fees that the largest merchants pay are typically a closely guarded trade secret.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 5, 2024

No doubt together with some knowledge of geometry regarded as an esoteric trade secret, many symbols to-day current did pass down from very primitive times.

From Secret Societies And Subversive Movements by Nesta H. Webster

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