ENGLISH
REFERENCE

trademark

n. · adj. · v.
US //ˈtɹeɪdˌmɑɹk// UK //tɹˈeɪdmɑːk// trade·mark
  1. 1 legal brand protection (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Law

    a name, symbol, or design that a company uses to identify its products and stop others from copying them.

    a legally registered sign, design, or expression which identifies products or services of a particular source from those of others.

    Example

    The company's famous logo is a registered trademark that no one else can use.

    Example

    The corporation filed a lawsuit alleging that the competitor's new logo was a clear infringement of their established trademark.

    Usage

    Often used with the verbs 'register', 'infringe', or 'protect'.
  2. 2 distinctive or signature (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Informal

    describing something that is very typical of a certain person.

    serving as a distinctive or identifying characteristic of a person or thing.

    Example

    He walked onto the stage wearing his trademark leather jacket.

    Example

    The comedian delivered the punchline with his trademark dry wit, prompting immediate laughter from the audience.
Show 1 more senseShow fewer
  1. 3 to register a brand (v.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Law

    to officially register a name or symbol so that other people cannot use it.

    to register a particular name, design, or phrase as a trademark to secure exclusive legal rights.

    Example

    They decided to trademark the new slogan before launching the advertising campaign.

    Example

    The startup moved quickly to trademark their unique software architecture name to prevent copycats in the emerging market.

    Usage

    This is a transitive verb and requires a direct object.
Origin

From trade + mark.

© 2026 English Reference