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.

Stefan can't explain more about the technique they use – like the genetic research it's a trade secret.

From BBC • May 14, 2026

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

Caitlin Vogus, the deputy director of advocacy at the Freedom of the Press Foundation, has been dismayed by the judge’s suggestions that Google & Co. are experts in what’s a trade secret and what isn’t.

From Slate • Oct. 25, 2023

Dorsey ruled that customer identities constitute a trade secret.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 9, 2023

How he stumbled upon this trade secret I do not know.

From Further Foolishness by Leacock, Stephen

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