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.

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

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

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

Besides, I fancy it is a trade secret, the tuning.

From The Disentanglers by Lang, Andrew

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