intellectual property
noun
plural intellectual properties
: property (such as a concept, idea, invention, or work) that derives from the effort of the mind or intellect
… Netflix is home to several popular intellectual properties like "Squid Game", "Power Rangers", and the 1980s sci-fi horror hit "Stranger Things".—
Danni Button
Danni Button
also
: a right or registration (such as a patent, trademark, trade secret, or copyright) relating to or protecting this property
In a number of cases, tech companies have infringed on the intellectual property of smaller rivals, who have sued in court. —The Boston Herald
The Boston Herald called also IP
Examples of intellectual property in a Sentence
Any song that you write is your intellectual property.
Recent Examples on the Web
Legal departments also use it for contract review against standard terms, analyzing negotiation language, processing large document sets for relevant arguments, and supporting intellectual property monitoring.
—Allbusiness, Forbes.com, 16 May 2026
As part of the acquisition, Sentivo retains the intellectual property of Cielo Estate, including its branding, member base and existing inventory, which will be sold under the Sentivo imprimatur.
—Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 15 May 2026
Actors don’t have the right to tell studios what to do with their intellectual property, and this contract doesn’t give them that power.
—Brian Welk, IndieWire, 15 May 2026
While court orders that block counterfeiters can help to safeguard intellectual property, sometimes those counterfeiters simply turn to other aliases and cybersquatting ploys to continue their activities.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for intellectual property
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Allbusiness, Forbes.com, 16 May 2026
As part of the acquisition, Sentivo retains the intellectual property of Cielo Estate, including its branding, member base and existing inventory, which will be sold under the Sentivo imprimatur.
—Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 15 May 2026
Actors don’t have the right to tell studios what to do with their intellectual property, and this contract doesn’t give them that power.
—Brian Welk, IndieWire, 15 May 2026
While court orders that block counterfeiters can help to safeguard intellectual property, sometimes those counterfeiters simply turn to other aliases and cybersquatting ploys to continue their activities.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for intellectual property
Cite this Entry
“Intellectual property.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intellectual%20property. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
