proprietary
/prəˈpraɪətri/ (bre, ipa) · /prəˈpraɪəteri/ (ame, ipa) · /prə-ˈprī-ə-ˌter-ē/ (ame, mw)
proprietary — adjective
- proprietarypositive
- more proprietarycomparative
- most proprietarysuperlative
1. relating to the state of owning something, or showing the attitude or behaviour
relating to the state of owning something, or showing the attitude or behaviour typical of an owner.
The lawyer explained the proprietary rights that the artist holds over her original paintings.
collocation: proprietary rights
Nicholas felt proprietary pride as he walked through the warehouse he had founded.
collocation: proprietary pride
Each partner signed a document outlining their proprietary interest in the firm's assets.
Noor glanced around the office with a proprietary air, as if it belonged to her.
The family business was sold, but the founders felt a proprietary attachment to it.
- ownership-related
less formal; used in plain business contexts
- possessory
legal term, narrower and more technical
常見錯誤
2. describes a product, design, or information item that a particular company creat
describes a product, design, or information item that a particular company creates and distributes while holding exclusive legal rights to it, such as a trademark, patent, or copyright.
The hospital uses a proprietary software system that only one company supplies and maintains.
collocation: proprietary software
Hyun refused to share the proprietary formula for the sauce, calling it a trade secret.
collocation: proprietary formula / trade secret
The mechanic needed a proprietary tool that only the machine's maker sold.
Lakshmi signed a non-disclosure agreement to protect her employer's proprietary data.
This phone runs a proprietary system that does not work with third-party apps.
- patented
narrower — only refers to inventions protected by a patent
- trademarked
narrower — only refers to names and logos protected by a trademark
- exclusive
broader — can refer to any right held by one party, not necessarily legally protected
- open-source
software whose code is publicly available and can be modified by anyone
- public-domain
creative works free for anyone to use, not protected by copyright
用法筆記
Often collocates with nouns related to technology and intellectual property: software, system, technology, formula, data, code, design, protocol. Frequently appears in business and legal contexts.
常見錯誤
proprietary — noun
1. a person or company that has the sole legal authority to own or control somethin
a person or company that has the sole legal authority to own or control something, for example a patent, trademark, or piece of property.
Dr. Camila Osei, the patent's proprietary, receives a royalty on each unit sold.
collocation: proprietary of the patent
The trademark's proprietary sued the chain that used the logo without permission.
The startup's sale gave the proprietary of its code a large payout.
A court must determine who the true proprietary of the disputed land is.
The proprietary of the copyright can grant permission for others to print the book.
- proprietor
far more common; the everyday word for the owner of a business or property
- owner
general term; does not carry the specific legal-exclusivity nuance
- rights-holder
modern legal usage, especially in intellectual property contexts
用法筆記
Very rare in modern English; the more common word for this sense is 'proprietor' or 'owner'. You may encounter it in formal legal documents.
2. a product or invention that is made, used, or sold under the exclusive legal rig
a product or invention that is made, used, or sold under the exclusive legal right held by its creator or manufacturer.
The chef's spice blend is a proprietary she keeps locked in a safe.
proprietary as countable noun for a protected product
Tunde registered the engine design as a proprietary to stop rivals from copying it.
The company treats its customer database as a proprietary and guards it closely.
Each pharmaceutical firm files its drug formula as a proprietary before starting clinical trials.
The app's recommendation algorithm is a proprietary that the startup never reveals publicly.
- patented product
more common; specifies that the item is protected by a patent
- branded product
broader; refers to any product sold under a brand name, not necessarily legally exclusive
用法筆記
This countable noun usage is uncommon. In everyday English, speakers use the phrase 'proprietary product' or 'proprietary item' rather than the bare noun form.
3. a business that is secretly owned by an intelligence organization and used to hi
a business that is secretly owned by an intelligence organization and used to hide its spying operations from the public.
The agency ran a travel firm in the capital as a proprietary for gathering intelligence.
intelligence context: run a business as a proprietary
The import-export firm was actually a proprietary operated by foreign intelligence officers.
The CIA maintained a chain of laundromats as proprietaries during the Cold War.
Agents posing as farmers ran the rural supply store as a proprietary for twenty years.
The newspaper was exposed as a proprietary owned by the country's military intelligence unit.
- front company
much more common; can refer to any business used as a cover, not only for intelligence work
- shell company
a company that exists only on paper, often used to hide the true owner
用法筆記
This sense is almost exclusively used in the context of intelligence and spy agencies. Outside of that field it is unknown to most English speakers.