proprietary

Made or developed by a company that holds the exclusive legal rights to it.

• The company uses a proprietary formula.
• Their proprietary technology makes the batteries last longer.
• Several manufacturers license this proprietary process.

Similar words: patented, exclusive

Common phrases: proprietary technology, proprietary formula, proprietary product

Controlled by one organization and different from a shared standard.

• The file uses a proprietary format.
• This proprietary extension only works in one browser.
• Can the program read documents from proprietary systems?

Similar words: closed, vendor-specific

Opposites: open, standard

Common phrases: proprietary format, proprietary software, proprietary extension

Connected with the legal right to own something.

• The agreement protects her proprietary rights.
• He has a proprietary interest in the land.
• The court examined their proprietary claims to the assets.

Similar words: proprietorial

Common phrases: proprietary rights, proprietary interest, proprietary claim

Owning property or belonging to a group of property owners.

• The proprietary class owned much of the land.
• Proprietary families controlled several large estates.
• The reforms reduced the influence of the proprietary elite.

Similar words: property-owning

Common phrases: proprietary class, proprietary families

Owned by a private person or company.

• The village had a proprietary chapel.
• Access to the proprietary lake required the owner’s permission.
• The report compared public and proprietary hospitals.

Similar words: privately owned, private

Opposites: public

Common phrases: proprietary hospital, proprietary chapel, proprietary lake

Showing that you consider someone or something yours and dislike others having a connection with them.

• He spoke with a proprietary air.
• She gave her partner a proprietary smile.
• He became surprisingly proprietary about the shared garden.

How to use it: proprietary about someone/something (She was proprietary about her collection.)

Similar words: possessive, territorial

Common phrases: proprietary air, proprietary attitude, proprietary interest