trademark
Americannoun
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trademarks
plural
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any name, symbol, figure, letter, word, or mark adopted and used by a manufacturer or merchant in order to designate specific goods and to distinguish them from those manufactured or sold by others. A trademark is proprietary and is usually registered with the Patent and Trademark Office to assure its exclusive use by its owner or licensee.
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a distinctive mark or feature particularly characteristic of or identified with a person or thing (often used attributively).
her trademark wit and sarcasm.
verb (used with object)
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trademarks,
present (3rd person singular)
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trademarked,
past participle, past
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trademarking
present participle
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to stamp or otherwise place a trademark designation upon.
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to register the trademark of.
noun
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the name or other symbol used to identify the goods produced by a particular manufacturer or distributed by a particular dealer and to distinguish them from products associated with competing manufacturers or dealers. A trademark that has been officially registered and is therefore legally protected is known as a Registered Trademark
-
any distinctive sign or mark of the presence of a person or animal
verb
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to label with a trademark
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to register as a trademark
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
trademarksimple
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trademarkssimple
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have trademarkedperfect
-
has trademarkedperfect
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am trademarkingprogressive
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are trademarkingprogressive
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is trademarkingprogressive
-
have been trademarkingperfect progressive
-
has been trademarkingperfect progressive
Past
-
trademarkedsimple
-
had trademarkedperfect
-
was trademarkingprogressive
-
were trademarkingprogressive
-
had been trademarkingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of trademark
Explanation
A trademark is a distinctive feature of something or someone, and to trademark is to brand something, especially in a legal sense. You know how a comedian often has a particular joke she's famous for? That's her trademark. A trademark is something specific to a person that can be used to identify her. The legal sense of trademark is an official representation of a business or product that only they can legally use — like the Nike swoosh or their motto "Just do it."
Vocabulary lists containing trademark
Economics
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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.
See Examples For:
Declan Rice: A trademark powerful run with the ball started the attack for Arsenal's second goal.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
Christian metal band Demon Hunter are suing Netflix in a trademark lawsuit over the streamer's hit film Kpop Demon Hunters.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
He appeared at the event dressed in his trademark olive-green military uniform, AFP reporters witnessed, amid tight security.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
We wrote here last month about the trademark lawsuits being filed by the rest-stop chain Buc-ee’s as it expands in the U.S., alleging that other companies’ mascots infringe on its trademarked beaver character.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
Without a change of clothing, his garments quickly became dirty, ruining a key element of Booth’s trademark, winning style—his beautifully dressed, well-groomed appearance.
From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson
It’s an album that aligns with each musician’s trademarks — characterized by Lange’s soothing electronica and Reyna’s eclectic elasticity — but an entirely unique work within their respective discographies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
One ally describes this as one of Burnham's trademarks, telling me he was a "brilliant leader of teams, and that included Conservative and Lib Dem council leaders".
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
De Palma may be best known for his stylistic trademarks and penchant for perversion, but he’s also one of American cinema’s great realists.
From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026
Its trademarks, brands and recipes can move or get licensed across borders within the corporation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 2026
If I died, I didn’t want people remembering me for the stacks of legal briefs I’d written or the corporate trademarks I’d helped defend.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
Hyde Lane originally trademarked “Demon Hunter” in 2014 under entertainment, namely live performances.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
The European Court of Justice confirmed that decision, saying the name OpenAI was not sufficiently distinctive to be trademarked.
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026
Matthew McConaughey trademarked his taffylike delivery of “Alright alright alright.”
From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026
Dubowski correctly answered the final 15th question, which was: "Used since 1876, which trademarked logo is described in the James Joyce novel Ulysses and depicted in works by Manet and Picasso?"
From BBC ● Apr. 26, 2026
And, to continue the analogy, you cannot establish a name in a day or two, any more than the manufacturer can make his trademarked goods universally known in a short period.
From The Art of Stage Dancing The Story of a Beautiful and Profitable Profession by Ned Wayburn
EU regulations do not allow trademarking a brand that simply describes a product or service, as that would mean competitors could no longer use those terms in their advertising.
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026
The University of Cambridge has won its fight to stop a rowing company based in the city trademarking its name.
From BBC ● Feb. 10, 2026
Matthew McConaughey is trademarking himself to fight AI fakes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 14, 2026
“Somebody probably already beat me to that,” Sanders said of trademarking “hot garbage.”
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 10, 2023
The name was chosen because of difficulties Intel had in trademarking a number.
From The Jargon File, Version 4.2.2, 20 Aug 2000 by Guy L. Steele
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
