Definition of patent in English:

patent

Pronunciation /ˈpat(ə)nt/ /ˈpeɪt(ə)nt/

noun

1A government authority or licence conferring a right or title for a set period, especially the sole right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention.
‘he took out a patent for an improved steam hammer’
- ‘Last year, the country was granted 146 U.S. patents for various technologies and products.’
- ‘The present proceedings were initiated by the claimant, whose claim alleges that Process A infringes the patent in suit.’
- ‘The number of issued software patents grew exponentially in the U.S. beginning in the early 1980s.’
- ‘They don't care much about licensing, software patents or threatening legislation.’
- ‘A design patent was filed and issued in 1986.’
- ‘All countries have to offer protection on drugs for which patents were filed after 1995.’
- ‘One problem is that there is apparently no penalty for filing a bogus patent.’
- ‘He didn't win, but he received a patent for his invention in 1870.’
- ‘The pressure for the FDA to act will only intensify as biotech patents expire.’
- ‘Prior to the Civil War, free Blacks could legally obtain patents on their inventions.’
- ‘Multinational pharmaceutical companies hold patents on drugs that can bring immense relief to AIDS sufferers.’
- ‘The first is to identify the inventive concept embodied in the patent in suit.’
- ‘Design patents cover the non-functional features of useful objects.’
- ‘The technology has been patented in South Africa, with international patents pending.’
- ‘Defenders of business method patents say they encourage innovation.’
- ‘Since it was developed over 20 years ago, all the original patents have run out.’
- ‘Obviously, lower standards for granting patents induce more applications, which generates more fees.’
- ‘They are granting patents, but they are lamely trying to deny that these are food additives.’
- ‘The specific applications of the invention are known as claims and are crucial to determining patent infringement.’
- ‘Hence, the USA far exceeds the EU in the number of biotechnology patents.’
copyright, licence, legal protection, right, performing right, permit, privilege, charter, franchise, registered trademark
View synonyms
2mass noun Patent leather.
‘designs in a wide range of textures featuring super-chic patent, soft suede, or sophisticated nappa’
as modifier ‘he wore black trousers and black patent shoes’

adjective

1Easily recognizable; obvious.
‘she was smiling with patent insincerity’
- ‘What seems to plague both of these films and so many like them is their patent insincerity.’
- ‘What is a patent truism to one side is an obvious falsehood to the other.’
- ‘The continued blind oversight of human rights abuses in conjunction with the blatant abuse of democracy is patent, and is incomprehensible.’
- ‘I'm sorry, but this focus on ‘belief’ is patent nonsense.’
- ‘Nice advertising slogan, but it's patent nonsense.’
obvious, clear, plain, evident, apparent, manifest, self-evident
View synonyms
2Medicine
(of a vessel, duct, or aperture) open and unobstructed; failing to close.
‘the patient is usually left with a patent vessel’
- ‘The renal artery, vein, and attached segment of ureter were patent and showed no evidence of tumor involvement.’
- ‘The pancreatic duct and main branches were patent and grossly unremarkable.’
- ‘Focal pressure was applied to temporarily occlude vessels that appeared to be patent.’
- ‘The woman must have at least one normal patent fallopian tube for successful interuterine insemination.’
- ‘Gamete intrafallopian transfer can be used only in women who have at least one patent fallopian tube.’
1. 2.1(of a parasitic infection) showing detectable parasites in the tissues or faeces.
  ‘there are a few recorded cases of patent infection in man’
3Made and marketed under a patent; proprietary.
‘patent milk powder’
- ‘It benefits from a tax-free patent income scheme which allows it to retain earnings.’
proprietary, patented, licensed, protected, branded, brand-name, own-brand, own-label, designer-label
View synonyms

verb

[with object]

Obtain a patent for (an invention)
‘an invention is not your own until it is patented’
- ‘Ben has patented his invention and a Sheffield company has already shown interest in developing the device.’
- ‘The doctors have patented their invention and say it could soon be available to all air passengers.’
- ‘There can be tax advantages in patenting a product - income from a patent, can, in some cases, be tax-free.’
- ‘Sometimes, a company can protect its differentiation strategy by patenting its products.’
- ‘In this country and in Europe you can go quite a long way towards patenting a medical treatment.’
- ‘The contribution to earnings from the new patented product is likely to be evident in the medium-term.’
- ‘For some, this wins time to persuade patients to switch to a newer, patented product.’
- ‘Even drugs already on the market can face challenges based on newly patented genes.’
- ‘The U.S. Department of Energy, which sponsored their work, has now patented the technology.’
- ‘The company has patented various plant genes, which can only by used after signing a contract.’
- ‘Even better, they've now patented the idea, so don't go around trying to copy it yourself.’
- ‘Masterful with machinery, he patented several mechanical inventions which had varying degrees of viability.’
- ‘He mysteriously disappeared during a train journey two years later, before he patented his invention.’
- ‘His invention was patented on December 10, 1889, and the Parker pen was born.’
- ‘After the Air Ministry turned him down he patented his idea himself in 1932.’
- ‘The scientists of previous generations who refused to patent their breakthrough discoveries were neither naive nor saintly.’
- ‘And if companies patent parts of the genome, they perhaps get exclusivity.’
- ‘I find it so funny that some company patented a step.’
- ‘He led the research and development of a unique and now patented coffee roasting process.’
- ‘The cellular parts essential for genetic engineering are already patented.’