Meaning & use
proprietary products
Last updated
Meanings
nounpluralbusinesslaw
Goods made and sold by a company under its own exclusive brand, formula, or legal rights.
Grammar: Always used in the plural; the singular 'proprietary product' refers to one such item.
Patterns
- sell proprietary products
- develop proprietary products
- a range of proprietary products
The firm sells proprietary products that competitors cannot legally copy.
Their proprietary products include a unique software suite and a patented battery.
Investors were attracted by the company's strong portfolio of proprietary products.
nounpluraltechnicalbusiness
Items or substances marketed under a protected trade name, often in medicine or chemicals.
Grammar: Still plural; often used with 'including' or 'such as' to give examples.
Patterns
- proprietary products such as ...
- a manufacturer of proprietary products
The pharmacy stocks both generic drugs and proprietary products.
Proprietary products in the chemical industry are usually protected by patents.
Word forms
| singular | proprietary product |
|---|
Common combinations
- range of proprietary products
- The company offers a wide range of proprietary products for home security.
- proprietary product line
- They expanded their proprietary product line to include smart devices.
- sell proprietary products
- Retailers earn higher margins when they sell proprietary products.
- develop proprietary products
- The startup plans to develop proprietary products for the medical market.
Synonyms and how they differ
- branded products
- Focuses on the brand name rather than legal ownership; 'proprietary products' stresses exclusive rights or a secret formula.
- patented products
- Specifically protected by a patent; 'proprietary products' may also be protected by trade secrets or trademarks.
Opposites
Word family
- proprietary adjective
- Owned or controlled exclusively by one company or person.
- proprietor noun
- The owner of a business or property.
- proprietorship noun
- The state of owning something, especially a business.
Commonly confused: proprietary products or property?
proprietary products vs property
Property means possessions or real estate; proprietary relates to ownership rights, not the things owned.
Practice
The company's ______ products are protected by both patents and trade secrets.
Choose one answer.
'Proprietary' is the adjective meaning exclusively owned or protected, which fits before 'products'. 'Property' is a noun, 'proprietor' is a person, and 'propriety' means correctness, so none fit grammatically or in meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “proprietary products”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.