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View synonyms for

patent

[pat-nt, peyt-, peyt-nt]

noun

  1. the exclusive right granted by a government to an inventor to manufacture, use, or sell an invention for a certain number of years.

  2. an invention or process protected by an exclusive right to manufacture, use, or sell it.

  3. an official document conferring on the inventor the exclusive right to manufacture, use, or sell an invention; letters patent.

  4. Law.the instrument by which the government of the United States conveys the legal fee-simple title to public land.

  5. patent leather.



adjective

  1. protected by an exclusive right given to an inventor to manufacture, use, or sell an invention; patented.

    a patent cooling device.

  2. relating to, concerned with, or dealing with the granting of exclusive rights to sell or manufacture something, especially inventions.

    a patent attorney;

    patent law.

  3. (of a right, privilege, etc.) conferred by a patent.

  4. holding an exclusive right to manufacture, use, or sell an invention.

  5. readily open to notice or observation; evident; obvious.

    She turned her nose up at me in a patent breach of good manners.

    Synonyms: , , ,
    Antonyms: , ,
  6. made of patent leather.

    patent shoes.

  7. (of a medication) sold without a prescription and usually protected by an exclusive legal right to manufacture.

    patent remedies;

    patent drugs.

  8. lying open; not enclosed or shut in.

    a patent field.

  9. (of a doorway, passage, or the like) open.

  10. Chiefly Botany.expanded or spreading.

  11. Medicine/Medical.(of a duct or passage in the body) open or unobstructed.

  12. Phonetics.open, in various degrees, to the passage of the breath stream.

verb (used with object)

  1. to take out a patent on; obtain the exclusive rights to (an invention, process, etc.) by a patent.

  2. to originate and establish as one's own.

  3. Metallurgy.to heat and quench (wire) so as to prepare for cold-drawing.

  4. Law.to grant (public land) by a patent.

patent

/ ˈpeɪtənt, ˈpætənt /

noun

    1. a government grant to an inventor assuring him the sole right to make, use, and sell his invention for a limited period

    2. a document conveying such a grant

  1. an invention, privilege, etc, protected by a patent

    1. an official document granting a right

    2. any right granted by such a document

    1. a grant by the government of title to public lands

    2. the instrument by which such title is granted

    3. the land so granted

  2. a sign that one possesses a certain quality

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. open or available for inspection (esp in the phrases letters patent, patent writ )

  2. obvious

    their scorn was patent to everyone

  3. concerning protection, appointment, etc, of or by a patent or patents

  4. proprietary

  5. (esp of a bodily passage or duct) being open or unobstructed

  6. biology spreading out widely

    patent branches

  7. (of plate glass) ground and polished on both sides

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to obtain a patent for

  2. (in the US) to grant (public land or mineral rights) by a patent

  3. metallurgy to heat (a metal) above a transformation temperature and cool it at a rate that allows cold working

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Usage

The pronunciation ˈpætənt is heard in letters patent and Patent Office and is the usual US pronunciation for all senses. In Britain ˈpætənt is sometimes heard for senses 1, 2 and 3, but ˈpeɪtənt is commoner and is regularly used in collocations like patent leather
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Other Word Forms

  • patentable adjective
  • patentability noun
  • patentably adverb
  • patently adverb
  • nonpatentability noun
  • nonpatentable adjective
  • nonpatented adjective
  • nonpatently adverb
  • prepatent noun
  • unpatent adjective
  • unpatentability noun
  • unpatentable adjective
  • unpatented adjective
  • ˈ貹ٱԳٲ adjective
  • ˌ貹ٱԳٲˈٲ noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of patent1

First recorded in 1250–1300; (adjective) Middle English, from Latin patent-, stem of 貹ŧԲ “open, standing open,” present participle of 貹ŧ “to stand open, lie open”; (noun) Middle English, short for letters patent, translation of Medieval Latin litterae patentēs “open letters”
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Word History and Origins

Origin of patent1

C14: via Old French from Latin 貹ŧ to lie open; n use, short for letters patent, from Medieval Latin litterae patentes letters lying open (to public inspection)
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Synonym Study

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

With immigrants filling jobs, it frees up others to invent, create new patents and figure out ways to make the economy more efficient, which generates wealth.

From

The patent for one of these gadgets — a large, electromagnetic, vibrational wand — is Carrie’s only inheritance.

From

Cuco took a beat before singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” in his patented soft and mellow voice.

From

According to the NIH’s own figures, patents derived from work it has funded produce 20% more economic value than other U.S. patents.

From

He also hopes to get in on the developing market for biodiversity credits, and to patent software, wetware and hardware technology the company develops.

From

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Patenierpatent ambiguity