Make that “The” Ohio State University.

The Buckeyes have filed a trademark application to use the word “the” on its merchandise, potentially giving it limited domain over one of the most common words in the English language — sort of.

The application, filed Aug. 8, includes a rendering of what OSU’s proposed merchandise would look like, showing a red T-shirt with the word “THE” in huge letters atop a logo of the school.

If the trademark request is approved, the school would likely be limited to using the word on similar apparel and other promotional trinkets.

“This only would apply for usage of “The” in ways that clearly signify association with Ohio State and its brand,” OSU spokesman Christopher Davey said in an email. “Like other institutions, Ohio State works to vigorously protect the university’s brands and trademarks because these assets hold significant value.”

He said the school trademarked the word “Ohio” for similar uses in the past.

Ohio State has one of the largest sports programs in the collegiate world, particularly a football team that won this year’s Rose Bowl and was formerly led by legendary head coach Urban Meyer.

The application — No. 88571984 on the U.S. Patents and Trademarks Office database — was discovered by Washington, DC-based trademark attorney Josh Gerben, who said he stumbled on it while making his routine scan of newly filed trademark requests.

“It’s unique,” Gerben told The Post. “It certainly obviously strikes people as odd, and rightfully so — especially for a university. It’s not someone trying to make an oddball request for a trademark.”

But, Gerben said, “they’re not owning the word ‘the’ here. That’s not what this is about. There’s thousands of clothing brands that already use the word ‘the,’ so it’s ultimately a really weak trademark.”