proprietary
gb/pɹəpɹˈaɪətˌɛɹi/ us/pɹəpɹˈaɪətˌɛɹi/
C1
English
~ 7300
Senses
0 senses
adjective
C1
property
1
owned and controlled by one company
Owned and controlled by one person or company, so other people cannot freely use or copy it.
Usage pattern:
proprietary [software/technology/information/system/formula]
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).
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.)
Collocations
proprietary software
|proprietary technology
|proprietary information
|proprietary data
|proprietary formula
|proprietary system
Themes
business
|technology
|law
Examples
- The company built its platform on proprietary software that it developed in-house.
- Our client claims that the design contains proprietary technology that competitors copied without permission.
- 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.
- Please do not send this proprietary information to anyone outside the team.
- They protect their proprietary data with strong passwords.
- The phone runs on a proprietary system that only this company makes.
adjective
formal
C2
property
2
relating to ownership rights
About the legal rights that an owner has in land, a business, or other property.
Usage pattern:
proprietary [rights/interest/trading/capacity]
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.
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.)
Collocations
proprietary rights
|proprietary interest
|proprietary trading
|proprietary capacity
Themes
law
|business
|finance
Examples
- The author retains all proprietary rights to the material, including the right to reproduce and distribute it.
- Shareholders with a proprietary interest in the company will vote on the proposed merger.
- 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.
- The contract explains her proprietary rights to the house.
- The bank made a profit from proprietary trading with its own money.
Noun
archaic
C2
entity
3
owner of property or land (historical)
An owner of land or other property, especially in older historical use.
Usage pattern:
a proprietary of [land/colony/estate]
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.
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.)
Collocations
lords proprietary
|a proprietary of the colony
|hereditary proprietary
Themes
history
|law
|business
Examples
- The charter granted sweeping powers to the lords proprietary of the colony.
- As proprietary of the estate, he controlled all the land and the rents it produced.
- 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.
- A proprietary owned the land and collected rent from farmers.
- Today we usually say 'proprietor' instead of 'proprietary' for an owner.
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.