Added 9 October 2026
proprietary
/pɹəˈpɹaɪ.ə.tə.ɹi/ adjective
Latin root: proprietārius Wiktionary
adjective Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about proprietary at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
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Of or relating to property or ownership.
proprietary rights
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Owning something; having ownership.
the proprietary class
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Created or manufactured exclusively by the owner or licensee of intellectual property rights, as with a patent or trade secret.
The continuous profitability of the company is based on its many proprietary products.
noun
- A proprietor or owner.
- A body of proprietors, taken collectively.
- The rights of a proprietor.
Origin
From French propriétaire, from Latin proprietārius. By surface analysis, propriety + -ary. Compare with the Latin proprietas (“property”) and proprius (“ownership”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)