🌟 Word of the Day — 3 Rabi’ Al-Awwal 1447 AH, August 27, 2025 ‘Proprietary’ 🌟

Two men shaking hands symbolizing making a deal defining the concept of ‘Proprietary,’ featuring a secure lock and business elements, symbolizing ownership and exclusive rights. CoachWard.biz branding is placed in the corner.

Coach Ward

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

3–4 min read

Welcome back to our Business English Word of the Day series. Today’s word is proprietary, a term you’ll often hear in corporate boardrooms, technology firms, and even legal documents. It carries weight because it signals ownership, exclusivity, and control, three forces that can shape entire markets.

📖 What Does “Proprietary” Mean?

Proprietary refers to something that is owned by an individual or a company, giving them exclusive legal rights and control over its use.

• In business/technology: proprietary software means the code belongs to the company; no one else can copy, modify, or distribute it without permission.

• In legal contexts: proprietary rights refer to ownership rights over property, assets, or intellectual creations.

• In everyday life: proprietary can describe anything you own that’s uniquely yours.

So, when you hear the word proprietary, think exclusive ownership.

🧬 Word Origin: Where Does “Proprietary” Come From?

The word stems from the Latin proprietas, meaning “ownership” or “property.”

It evolved through Old French (proprietaire) into Middle English, eventually shaping today’s usage that tightly connects it to ownership and rights.

🧠 Why “Proprietary” Matters in Business

In business, proprietary elements are what give a company its edge:

• Proprietary Technology: Exclusive algorithms, apps, or processes.

• Proprietary Knowledge: Trade secrets, methods, or in-house expertise.

• Proprietary Rights: Legal safeguards ensuring competitors can’t just copy you.

These advantages can translate into long-term profitability and brand strength.

🙋 Who Uses “Proprietary” (and Why)?

• Entrepreneurs use it when they create products that no one else can sell.

• Lawyers use it in contracts and intellectual property cases.

• Corporations rely on proprietary systems to guard their market position.

• Investors value companies with proprietary technology because it creates barriers to entry.

❤️ The Coach Ward Way

At Coach Ward Business Solutions, I think a lot about what makes my work proprietary. Truth is, anyone can teach vocabulary. But the way I build it, connecting language to culture, leadership, business, and even Islamic finance, is unique. It’s proprietary not because I hide it, but because I crafted it with my family’s coaching legacy and my global journey.

That uniqueness is my “edge.” And in your career, developing proprietary skills, things only you can bring to the table, can make you indispensable.

📌 Examples in Action

1. “Apple’s proprietary software ecosystem locks customers into its products.”

2. “The firm guarded its proprietary trading strategies closely.”

3. “Her coaching style was so personal, it felt proprietary.”

🚀 Your Turn

What’s your proprietary edge? A system, skill, or knowledge that’s uniquely yours? Reflect on how you can protect it, and how you can use it to add value to others.

👉 Let’s keep growing, one word at a time!