letters patent

plural noun Law.

a written or printed instrument issued by a sovereign power, conferring upon a patentee some right, as the exclusive right to land or the exclusive right to make, use, and sell an invention for a limited time.

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Origin of letters patent

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400

Words nearby letters patent

letterman, letterpress, letters, letters of administration, letters of credence, letters patent, letters testamentary, letterset, letterspace, letterwood, lettic
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for letters patent

British Dictionary definitions for letters patent

letters patent

pl n

See patent (def. 6)
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