trademark
/ˈtreɪd.mɑːk/ IELTSAcademic
noun
A trademark is a name, logo, symbol, or design that legally identifies one company’s product or service. It helps people know who made it.
- The red bottle is a trademark of the brand.
- They registered their trademark last year.
- The company protects its trademark carefully.
verb
To trademark something means to officially register it as a trademark. This gives legal protection against copying.
- They trademarked the new logo.
- We should trademark the product name.
- The firm trademarked its slogan in India.
Adinary Nuance
A trademark is more specific than a brand name. A brand is the whole public image of a company, but a trademark is the protected name, logo, or symbol. It is also different from a copyright, which protects creative works like books, music, and films. Use trademark when you mean legal protection for identification in business.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- nhãn hiệu
- Spanish
- marca registrada
- Chinese
- 商标
- Japanese
- 商標
- Korean
- 상표
Etymology
Trademark comes from trade and mark. In English, it appeared in the 19th century as business and legal branding became more important.
Common phrases
trademark registrationtrademark lawtrademark infringementtrademark protection
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between a trademark and a brand?
- A brand is the public identity of a company. A trademark is the legal protection for its name, logo, or symbol.
- Is trademark a legal word?
- Yes. It is often used in business and law when talking about protected names and logos.
- Can I use trademark as a verb?
- Yes. You can say a company trademarked a name, logo, or slogan.
- Is a trademark the same as copyright?
- No. A trademark protects business identity. Copyright protects creative works like books, songs, and films.