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patent

[ pat-nt or, for 10, 12-15, peyt-; especially British peyt-nt ]
/ ˈpæt nt or, for 10, 12-15, ˈpeɪt-; especially British ˈpeɪt nt /
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See synonyms for: patent / patented / patenting / patently on Thesaurus.com

noun
adjective pa·tent [peyt-nt] /ˈpeɪt nt/ (for 10, 12-15)
verb (used with object)
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Origin of patent

First recorded in 1250–1300; (adjective) Middle English, from Latin patent- (stem of patēns ) “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”

synonym study for patent

10. See apparent.

OTHER WORDS FROM patent

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use patent in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for patent

patent
/ (ˈpætənt, ˈpeɪtənt) /

noun
adjective
verb (tr)

Derived forms of patent

patentable, adjectivepatentability, noun

Word Origin for patent

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

usage for patent

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
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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