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Meaning & use

non-proprietary

adjective·Academictechnical

Last updated

UK/ˌnɒn prəˈpraɪ.ə.tri/
US/ˌnɑːn prəˈpraɪ.ə.ter.i/

Meanings

  1. adjectivenot comparabletechnical

    Not owned or controlled by one company, so that anyone may use or make it freely.

    Grammar: Either something is owned or not, so it is not normally compared; it can appear before a noun or after be.

    Patterns

    • a non-proprietary format

    The team chose a non-proprietary file format so anyone could open the data.

    Open standards are non-proprietary, which helps different systems work together.

    Their design is non-proprietary, so other builders can copy it without paying.

  2. adjectivebefore a nounmedical

    Used of a medicine's general name that is not a registered brand.

    Grammar: Appears before a noun in medical writing: a non-proprietary name.

    Patterns

    • non-proprietary name

    Ibuprofen is the non-proprietary name of a popular painkiller.

    Doctors usually write the non-proprietary name on prescriptions.

    The label lists the non-proprietary name beneath the brand.

Common combinations

non-proprietary format
PDF began as a company format but later became a non-proprietary standard.
non-proprietary name
The pharmacist checked the non-proprietary name on the box.
non-proprietary software
The school prefers non-proprietary software to avoid license fees.
non-proprietary technology
The project relies on non-proprietary technology that any maker can use.
non-proprietary standard
They agreed on a non-proprietary standard for charging cables.

Synonyms and how they differ

open
Open is the everyday word for software or standards anyone can use, and it is shorter but slightly less precise legally.
generic
Generic is the usual word for a medicine sold without a brand name, while non-proprietary fits both drugs and technology.
open-source
Open-source specifically means the code can be read and changed, which is stricter than non-proprietary.

Opposites

proprietarypatented

Word family

proprietary adjective
owned and controlled by a company
proprietor noun
the owner of a business
property noun
something owned
proprietorship noun
the state of owning something

Commonly confused: non-proprietary or non-profit?

non-proprietary vs non-profit

Non-profit describes an organization that does not aim to make money, not something that is freely usable by everyone.

Practice

Why might a government agency prefer a non-proprietary file format?

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