proprietary

[pruh-prahy-i-ter-ee]

adjective

1. belonging to a proprietor.

2. being a proprietor; holding property.

   the proprietary class.

3. pertaining to property or ownership.

   proprietary wealth.

4. belonging or controlled as property.

5. (of a brand name, product, service, formula, etc.) protected by a patent, copyright, or trademark.

   proprietary drugs; a proprietary name; a proprietary logo; a proprietary blend of ingredients.

6. privately owned and operated for profit.

   proprietary hospitals.

noun

plural

proprietaries 

1. an owner or proprietor.

2. a body of proprietors.

3. American History.,  the grantee or owner, or one of the grantees or owners, of a proprietary colony.

4. ownership.

5. something owned, especially real estate.

6. a proprietary medicine.

7. Also called proprietary school. a school organized as a profit-making venture primarily to teach vocational skills or self-improvement techniques.

proprietary

/ prəˈpraɪɪtərɪ, -trɪ /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or belonging to property or proprietors

2. privately owned and controlled

3. med of or denoting a drug or agent manufactured and distributed under a trade name Compare ethical

noun

1. med a proprietary drug or agent

2. a proprietor or proprietors collectively

3. 1. right to property

   2. property owned

4. Also called: lord proprietary. (in Colonial America) an owner, governor, or grantee of a proprietary colony

Other Word Forms

• proprietarily adverb
• nonproprietary adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of proprietary¹

1400–50; late Middle English (noun) < Medieval Latin proprietārius owner, noun use of Late Latin: of an owner, of ownership. See propriety, -ary

Word History and Origins

Origin of proprietary¹

C15: from Late Latin proprietārius an owner, from proprius one's own

Example Sentences

If investors react impulsively, the people who benefit will be the professionals: the hedge funds, proprietary traders, and algorithmic funds who already dominate pre- and postmarket trading and can take advantage of irrationally priced assets.

Read more on Barron's

As a rule, avoid sharing medical, financial or proprietary corporate information while prompting.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Wary of the proprietary nature of insurer models, which are being used nationwide to simulate various disasters, consumer groups had called for a California public model.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Following closing of the transaction, Genmab will have four proprietary programs expected to drive multiple new drug launches by 2027, it said.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The 7-Eleven owner has been taking steps to boost earnings, such as improving the offerings of proprietary and freshly made food products.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• antidote 
• drug 
• elixir 
• fix 
• healing 
• medication 
• medicine 
• panacea 
• placebo 
• quick fix 
• recovery 
• remedy 
• treatment