noun

• 1A government authority or license conferring a right or title for a set period, especially the sole right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention.

  Compare with letters patent

  More example sentences

  • ‘he took out a patent for an improved steam hammer’

  Synonyms

  copyright, licence, legal protection, right, performing right, permit, privilege, charter, franchise, registered trademark

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• 2Patent leather.

  ‘designs in a wide range of textures featuring super-chic patent, soft suede, or sophisticated nappa’

  More example sentences

  • ‘he wore black trousers and black patent shoes’

adjective

• 1Easily recognizable; obvious.

  ‘she was smiling with patent insincerity’

  More example sentences

  • ‘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.’

  Synonyms

  obvious, clear, plain, evident, apparent, manifest, self-evident

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• 2Medicine
  (of a vessel, duct, or aperture) open and unobstructed; failing to close.

  ‘the patient is usually left with a patent vessel’

  More example sentences

  • ‘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 feces.
     More example sentences

     • ‘there are a few recorded cases of patent infection in man’
• 3attributive Made and marketed under a patent; proprietary.

  ‘patent milk powder’

  More example sentences

  • ‘It benefits from a tax-free patent income scheme which allows it to retain earnings.’

  Synonyms

  proprietary, patented, licensed, protected, branded, brand-name, own-brand, own-label, designer-label

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• Obtain a patent for (an invention)

  ‘an invention is not your own until it is patented’

  More example sentences

  • ‘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.’