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

Example Sentences

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

In the recent Amazon complaint from the Federal Trade Commission, Amazon’s ad revenue is currently redacted, a trade secret so big it blots out the sun.

From Slate • Oct. 4, 2023

Beyond trade secret and intellectual property allegations, Spiro also wrote that Meta is prohibited from “engaging in any crawling or scraping of Twitter’s followers or following data.”

From Seattle Times • Jul. 7, 2023

Black Cloud ain't up to no sech move, the same bein' a trade secret of the Lance's an' bein' the hossha'r is hid in the ha'r on the pony's laig, no one notes its presence.

From Wolfville Nights by Lewis, Alfred Henry