exclusivity
ek-skloo-SIV-uh-tee
/ˌek.sklulˈsɪv.ə.ti/
The practice or status of reserving rights, access, or distribution to a single specified person or group.
In commercial agreements, an 'exclusivity clause' prohibits one party from dealing with rivals.
The story behind the word. From Latin 'excludere', meaning 'to shut out'. Exclusivity literally means the state of shutting everyone else out of a deal.
Word relationships
- sole rights: Sole rights is a plain legal phrase, whereas exclusivity is a broader commercial status or contractual term.
- non-exclusivity: Non-exclusivity allows rights or products to be shared with multiple competing parties simultaneously.
Commonly confused with
- exclusion: Exclusion is the act of leaving someone out; exclusivity is the valuable status of having single-party control.
Word family
- exclusive (adjective): Restricted to a single person, group, or entity.
- exclusively (adverb): To the exclusion of all others.
Collocations
- exclusivity agreement
- exclusivity clause
- market exclusivity
- grant exclusivity
Example sentences
- "The distributor demanded total market exclusivity for three years before committing to the product launch." Commercial contract clause
- "The network paid a premium fee to secure streaming exclusivity for the hit television series." Streaming media deal analysis
Memory hook
EXCLUSIVITY EXCLUDES all competitors from the deal. EXCLUSIVITY = Shutting rivals out.
When not to use
Do not use 'exclusivity' to describe open marketplace competition without contract restrictions.
Fun facts
- Pharmaceutical companies seek regulatory 'market exclusivity' periods to sell new drugs without generic competition.
Related words
Explore more words
monopoly, monopolize, exclusivism, inclusivity, scoop, peculiar
Also appears in
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