brand-name

IPA/ˈbrænd neɪm/
IPA/ˈbrænd neɪm/

brand-name — noun

1. a name chosen by a company for one of its products or services, allowing buyers

1.nounB1
Definition

a name chosen by a company for one of its products or services, allowing buyers to tell which business produced it

Example

Reuben looked at the brand-name on the label before putting the shampoo in his basket.

Many shoppers will pay extra for a brand-name they already know and trust.

brand-name as object of trust

Common collocations
  • build a brand-name
  • recognize a brand-name
  • carry a brand-name
  • strong brand-name
Synonyms
  • trademark

    more formal and legal; refers to a registered name protected by law

  • label

    broader term that includes the design and the company behind the product

Common Mistakes

I only trust brand-name products.' (brand-name used here is actually the adjective)
I only trust brand-name products.
This is correct as an adjective before a noun. As a noun: 'The brand name is written on the box.' (two words, unhyphenated). British English often prefers the unhyphenated noun form 'brand name'.

2. a name chosen by a company or seller to identify its product or service, which t

2.nounC1
Definition

a name chosen by a company or seller to identify its product or service, which the business can legally register so that no other company may use it

Example

The company registered its brand-name as a trademark to prevent other firms from using it.

register a brand-name as a trademark (legal protection)

A brand-name must be used in business to stay protected under trademark law.

Common collocations
  • register a brand-name
  • protect a brand-name
  • infringe a brand-name
Synonyms
  • trademark

    the legal term for a registered brand-name; more precise in law

  • trade name

    the official name under which a company does business

Usage Note

This sense is more technical than PRODUCT NAME (sense 1). It refers specifically to a name that has been or can be registered as a trademark. Commonly used in legal and intellectual property contexts.

3. a person, company, or product whose name is very well-known and has a strong pos

3.nounC1
Definition

a person, company, or product whose name is very well-known and has a strong positive reputation in a particular field

Example

After her award-winning film, she became a brand-name in the fashion industry overnight.

become a brand-name in [field]

The small restaurant chain grew from one location to a national brand-name within eight years.

Common collocations
  • become a brand-name
  • a global brand-name
  • a brand-name in [field]
Synonyms
  • household name

    emphasizes that nearly everyone recognizes the name

  • big name

    less formal; implies fame within an industry

Usage Note

This sense is a noun — it refers to the entity itself (e.g., 'She is a brand-name in fashion'), not an adjective describing a noun (compare with adjective sense WELL-KNOWN: 'a brand-name designer').

Common Mistakes

That singer is very brand-name.' (adjective used predicatively — not possible)
That singer is a brand-name in pop music.' (noun phrase with article)

brand-name — adjective

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four terms relate to how a company identifies its products, but they differ in scope and formality. 'Brand name' is the broadest, everyday term for the name a company gives a product (e.g., 'Nike'). 'Trademark' is a legal term for a name or symbol that has been officially registered, giving the owner exclusive rights to use it. 'Label' is wider still — it can mean the company behind a product line (e.g., a record label) or the physical tag attached to an item. 'Logo' is the visual symbol representing a brand, not the name itself. For example: 'The brand name is Coca-Cola, and its trademark is registered worldwide. The label on the bottle shows both the logo and the ingredients.'

brand nametrademark ↗label ↗logo ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • brand-name recognition
  • brand-name loyalty
  • brand-name product
  • brand-name drug
  • brand-name equipment

Adverbs

  • widely recognized
  • instantly recognized

Phrases

  • build a brand-name
  • protect a brand-name
  • become a brand-name
  • carry a well-known brand-name

Prepositions

  • under a brand-name
  • as a brand-name

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

The word 'brand' originally meant 'a burning piece of wood' in Old English. In the 16th century, owners began using hot irons to burn identifying marks onto their livestock, and 'brand' came to mean the mark itself. By the 19th century, manufacturers adopted the term for the names they stamped on their products. The compound 'brand name' first appeared in the late 1800s, and by the mid-1900s the hyphenated form 'brand-name' was used as an adjective and as a legal term for trademarked product names.

First known use

1887

1887, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Noun