patent

American  

[pat-nt, payt-, payt-nt] / ˈpæt nt, ˈpeɪt-, ˈpeɪt nt /

noun

• patents
  plural

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.

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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:

   unconcealed, conspicuous, palpable, clear

   Antonyms:

   hidden, obscure, dim

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)

• patents,
  present (3rd person singular)
• patented,
  past participle,  past
• patenting
  present participle

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 British  

/ ˈpeɪtənt, ˈpætənt /

noun

1. 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

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

3. 1. an official document granting a right

   2. any right granted by such a document

4. 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

5. a sign that one possesses a certain quality

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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

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

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

Synonym Usage

See apparent.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonpatentability
  noun
• patentability
  noun
• prepatent
  noun
• unpatentability
  noun
• nonpatentable
  adjective
• nonpatented
  adjective
• patentable
  adjective
• unpatent
  adjective
• unpatentable
  adjective
• unpatented
  adjective
• nonpatently
  adverb
• patentably
  adverb
• patently
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• patents
  plural

Participles

• patenting
  present
• patented
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• patent
  simple
• patents
  simple
• have patented
  perfect
• has patented
  perfect
• am patenting
  progressive
• are patenting
  progressive
• is patenting
  progressive
• have been patenting
  perfect progressive
• has been patenting
  perfect progressive

Past

• patented
  simple
• had patented
  perfect
• was patenting
  progressive
• were patenting
  progressive
• had been patenting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will patent
  simple
• will have patented
  perfect
• will be patenting
  progressive
• will have been patenting
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of patent

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

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Explanation

A patent is a government document that proves that an invention is yours and yours alone. In the U.S., as of 2009, over 7,000,000 patents were issued by the Patent and Trademark Office. Patent also refers to leather that has a very shiny finish. The process for making leather look like this was once patented, but since patents do not last forever, the process is now available for anyone to use. As with patent leather, the word is often used as part of a sales pitch, explaining why something is special: "We use patented technology..." or "Our patented method..."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

patent patents patented patenting

These companies are doing what they do best, investing in the pipelines of the future and extending the patent lives of their top-selling drugs.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026

Bristol Myers Squibb is making a $4.1 billion bet on radiopharmaceutical cancer drugs ahead of a major patent cliff in 2028.

From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026

The electric fan system increases downforce and reduces drag, according to the patent, for which Tesla applied in 2024.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

Blau, Bhutani and other coauthors are inventors on patent applications held by Stanford University involving 15-PGDH inhibition for cartilage and tissue rejuvenation.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026

They were shiny and reminded me of the black patent leather of Mama’s pocketbook.

From "Root Magic" by Eden Royce

N.G., and J.L.K. have a financial interest related to this research, including patents and pending patents covering senolytic drugs and their uses that are held by Mayo Clinic.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 14, 2026

Analysts at Barclays say investors it’s talked to are confused about the direction of the company and how it can navigate when key patents expire in 2030 and 2032.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026

When a country has a relative scarcity of younger workers, that country’s technology sector rises to the occasion, resulting in “more labor-saving patents and growing high-tech activity.”

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026

A decade ago, pharmaceutical roll-ups like Valeant convinced analysts to exclude amortization from their alternative earnings metrics, even on newly bought drug patents near expiration.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

But patents do not last for ever, and they give you a claim only within a particular jurisdiction.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Boeing in 2006 patented an “uninterruptible autopilot” that, once activated, couldn’t be overridden in the cockpit.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

"So this retains the biodegradability," she added, declining to reveal further details of the patented process.

From Barron's ● Aug. 23, 2026

If a patented drug is listed by the U.S. government as in short supply, compounders can legally produce it.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026

Also in 2023, engineering firm Hermann Ultraschall bought the rights to develop a patented ultrasonic paper sealing technology, a process which it likens to welding.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

Or maybe it's just me, blushing my patented invisible blush.

From "Things Not Seen" by Andrew Clements

American inventor Louis E. Waterman is credited for developing and patenting the first modern fountain pen in 1884—one that could store ink inside and eliminate the need for a separate ink pot.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2025

In his spare time, he enjoys inventing and patenting original ideas.

From New York Times ● Apr. 15, 2024

The Federal Trade Commission is investigating anti-competitive action by leading benefit managers, as well as drug company patenting tricks that slow the entry of cheaper drugs to the market.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 20, 2024

With the help of hid dad, he setup Arcane Footwear in 2021 after patenting a magnetic spring cushion which can be used in trainers.

From BBC ● Jan. 25, 2024

Scientists are quick to point out that John Moore’s cells were exceptional, and few cell lines are actually worth patenting.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot

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