proprietary
gb/pɹəpɹˈaɪətˌɛɹi/ us/pɹəpɹˈaɪətˌɛɹi/
C1
English
~ 7300
proprietáris, tulajdonjogilag védett, tulajdonosi, tulajdonjogi, birtokos
C1
1
Usage pattern:
proprietary [software/technology/information/system/formula]
The company built its platform on proprietary software that it developed in-house.
A cég a házon belül fejlesztett, proprietáris szoftverre építette a platformját.
Our client claims that the design contains proprietary technology that competitors copied without permission.
Ügyfelünk azt állítja, hogy a terv olyan proprietáris technológiát tartalmaz, amelyet a versenytársak engedély nélkül lemásoltak.
Employees must sign an agreement not to share proprietary information with outside parties.
The drink’s unique taste comes from a proprietary formula that the brand keeps secret.
This database includes proprietary data that cannot be distributed publicly.
Learner examples
The app uses proprietary software from a big tech company.
Az alkalmazás egy nagy techcég proprietáris szoftverét használja.
Please do not send this proprietary information to anyone outside the team.
Kérlek, ezt a tulajdonjogilag védett információt ne küldd el senkinek a csapaton kívül.
They protect their proprietary data with strong passwords.
The phone runs on a proprietary system that only this company makes.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think 'proprietary' means 'high quality' or 'expensive'. It only means that something is owned and controlled by a person or company. Learners also confuse it with 'proprietor' (the owner) and 'proprietorial' (showing an attitude of ownership).
Meaning
owned and controlled by one company
Collocations
proprietary software
|proprietary technology
|proprietary information
|proprietary data
|proprietary formula
|proprietary system
Synonyms
exclusive (Stresses that only one person or company has the right to use or provide something, but is less focused on legal or technical control.)
Antonyms
open-source (Describes software or technology whose design is freely available for others to use, change, and share, which is the opposite of being proprietary.)
Themes
business
|technology
|law
Definition
Owned and controlled by one person or company, so other people cannot freely use or copy it.
Legally owned and controlled by a particular person or company, with use or copying by others restricted.
C2
FORMAL
2
tulajdonosi
B2
tulajdonjogi
C1
Usage pattern:
proprietary [rights/interest/trading/capacity]
The author retains all proprietary rights to the material, including the right to reproduce and distribute it.
A szerző az anyaggal kapcsolatban minden tulajdonosi jogát fenntartja, beleértve a sokszorosítás és a terjesztés jogát is.
Shareholders with a proprietary interest in the company will vote on the proposed merger.
A vállalatban tulajdonosi érdekeltséggel rendelkező részvényesek szavaznak a javasolt egyesülésről.
The bank engages in proprietary trading, using its own money rather than clients’ funds.
The agreement sets out the proprietary rights of the software licensor and the licensee.
Learner examples
He has a proprietary interest in the business because he owns shares.
Tulajdonosi érdekeltsége van a vállalkozásban, mert részvényeket birtokol.
The contract explains her proprietary rights to the house.
A szerződés ismerteti a házzal kapcsolatos tulajdonjogait.
The bank made a profit from proprietary trading with its own money.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'proprietary' here where a simpler phrase like 'legal rights' or 'ownership rights' would be clearer in everyday speech. This sense is mainly used in formal legal, business, or financial writing.
Meaning
relating to ownership rights
Collocations
proprietary rights
|proprietary interest
|proprietary trading
|proprietary capacity
Synonyms
ownership (Often used before another noun (as in 'ownership rights'); focuses on the state of owning something rather than the legal or technical term used in formal writing.)
Antonyms
non-proprietary (Describes something that is not connected to private ownership or owner’s rights, especially in legal or technical contexts.)
Themes
law
|business
|finance
Definition
About the legal rights that an owner has in land, a business, or other property.
Relating to legal ownership, or to the rights and interests that an owner has in property or a business.
NOUN
C2
ARCHAIC
3
birtokos
B2
Usage pattern:
a proprietary of [land/colony/estate]
The charter granted sweeping powers to the lords proprietary of the colony.
Az alapítólevél széles körű hatalmat adott a gyarmat birtokosainak.
As proprietary of the estate, he controlled all the land and the rents it produced.
Mivel ő volt a birtokos, ő rendelkezett az összes földdel és az abból befolyó bérleti díjakkal.
Under the old system, the proprietary could appoint local officials and judges.
Learner examples
In the past, the proprietary of a colony had a lot of power.
Régen egy gyarmat birtokosának nagy hatalma volt.
A proprietary owned the land and collected rent from farmers.
A birtokosé volt a föld, és ő szedte be a bérleti díjat a gazdáktól.
Today we usually say 'proprietor' instead of 'proprietary' for an owner.
Common mistake:
Learners may wrongly assume this noun sense is common in modern English. In contemporary usage, 'proprietor' is used instead; 'proprietary' as a noun appears mostly in historical or legal texts.
Meaning
owner of property or land (historical)
Collocations
lords proprietary
|a proprietary of the colony
|hereditary proprietary
Synonyms
proprietor (The modern and much more common word for an owner of a business or property.)
Antonyms
tenant (A person who occupies or uses land or property owned by someone else, the opposite role of an owner or proprietary.)
Themes
history
|law
|business
Definition
An owner of land or other property, especially in older historical use.
A person who holds legal title to property, especially a colony or large estate; an owner or proprietor.
Grammar
Dictionary form
proprietary
IPA
GB/pɹəpɹˈaɪətˌɛɹi/
US/pɹəpɹˈaɪətˌɛɹi/
Syllables & stress
pro - pri - et - ary (4 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (pri)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: proprietary
Noun
- Base: proprietary
- Plural: proprietaries
Word family
Forms
proprietaries
noun
Core family
property
noun A2
proprietor
noun C1
Related words
proprietorship
noun
Negative and opposite forms
nonproprietary
adjective
Advanced or less common
proprietorial
adjective C1
Expressions
proprietary information
1/pɹəpɹˈaɪətˌɛɹi ˌɪnfɔɹmˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
formal
confidential information owned by a company
Business information that a company owns and keeps secret, and that others are not allowed to use or share.
Examples
- Employees must not disclose any proprietary information to competitors.
- The report treats customer data as proprietary information that requires strict protection.
proprietary interest
1/pɹəpɹˈaɪətˌɛɹi ˈɪntɚˌɛst/
fixed phrase
formal
ownership stake in something
A person’s legal or financial share in something that they partly or fully own.
Examples
- Board members must disclose any proprietary interest they have in the transaction.
- She has a proprietary interest in the firm because she holds equity in it.
proprietary rights
1/pɹəpɹˈaɪətˌɛɹi ɹˈaɪts/
fixed phrase
formal
legal rights of ownership
The legal rights that a person or company has because they own something, like land, a brand, or a work of art.
Examples
- The licensee does not acquire any proprietary rights in the trademark.
- Authors have proprietary rights over how their work is used and distributed.
proprietary software
1/pɹəpɹˈaɪətˌɛɹi sˈɔftwˌɛɹ/
fixed phrase
technical
software owned and restricted by a company
Software that belongs to a company and that other people cannot freely copy, change, or share.
Examples
- The system runs on proprietary software that only the vendor can modify.
- Many users prefer open-source tools to proprietary software because they have more control.
proprietary technology
1/pɹəpɹˈaɪətˌɛɹi tɛknˈɑləd͡ʒi/
fixed phrase
company-owned exclusive technology
Technology that a company owns and controls, which other companies cannot easily copy or use.
Examples
- Their proprietary technology gives them a strong advantage in the market.
- The startup hopes to license its proprietary technology to larger manufacturers.
proprietary trading
1/pɹəpɹˈaɪətˌɛɹi tɹˈeɪdɪŋ/
fixed phrase
technical
a bank trading with its own funds
When a bank or financial company buys and sells financial products using its own money, not its customers’ money, to make profit.
Examples
- Regulators placed new limits on proprietary trading after the financial crisis.
- The firm shut down its proprietary trading desk to focus on client business.