Trademark

Definition

A trademark is a symbol, word, or words legally registered or established by use as representing a company or product.

Parts of Speech

• Noun
• Verb

Pronunciation

American English

• IPA Pronunciation: /ˈtreɪdˌmɑrk/
• Respelling: TRAYD-mark (with "TRAYD" rhyming with "made" and "mark" as in "mark")

British English

• IPA Pronunciation: /ˈtreɪdˌmɑːk/
• Respelling: TRAYD-mahk (similar to American English, with "TRAYD" rhyming with "made" and "mahk" like in "mark" but with a longer 'a' sound)

In both dialects, "trademark" is pronounced with the primary stress on the first syllable, "TRAYD," which rhymes with "made." The difference lies in the pronunciation of the second syllable: in American English, it's "mark," while in British English, the 'a' in "mahk" is slightly longer.

Etymology

The word "trademark" comes from the Middle English word "trade" meaning "path" or "track" combined with the word "mark", which originated from the Old Norse word "merki" meaning "sign", "symbol", or "boundary."

Derivatives

• Trademarked
• Trademarking
• Untrademarked
• Trademarkable
• Trademarksman

Synonyms

• Brand
• Logo
• Emblem

Antonyms

• None

Usage

• "Trademark" is often used in legal and business contexts to refer to a brand's distinctive sign or logo.
• It can also refer to a characteristic quality or feature of someone or something.

Related Terms

• Copyright
• Intellectual property
• Patent
• Branding
• Service mark

Detailed Definition

Noun

• Legal Protection: A symbol, design, word, phrase, or combination thereof that identifies and distinguishes the source of goods or services and is legally reserved for the exclusive use of the owner as an identifier of that source.
• Example: Apple's apple logo is a globally recognized trademark.

• Characteristic Feature: A distinctive characteristic or feature of someone or something.
• Example: His humor became his trademark in all his movies.

Verb

• To Register: To register (something) as a trademark.
• Example: They decided to trademark the name of their software.

• To Mark: To identify clearly as being a particular thing or having a particular quality.
• Example: His movies are trademarked by their unique storytelling.