Proprietary is a term that refers to something that is exclusively owned or controlled by an individual or organization. There are several synonyms for the word proprietary, including copyrighted, patented and private. Other synonyms include exclusive, confidential and privileged. Proprietary can also be described as owned or controlled by a company or organization, with alternatives such as branded, trademarked or franchised. In the world of technology, proprietary software refers to code that is owned and controlled by a company, compared to open-source software which is free to access and modify by the public. There are many ways to describe something as proprietary depending on the context and industry.