patent

/pˈætənt/ · 2 syllables

Meaning

noun

1. a document granting an inventor sole rights to an invention
2. an official document granting a right or privilege

verb

1. obtain a patent for
   “Should I patent this invention?”
2. grant rights to; grant a patent for
3. make open to sight or notice
   “His behavior has patented an embarrassing fact about him”

adjective

1. (of a bodily tube or passageway) open; affording free passage
   “patent ductus arteriosus”
2. clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment
   “the effects of the drought are apparent to anyone who sees the parched fields”

Synonyms for patent

• patent of invention
• letters patent
• unobstructed
• apparent
• evident
• manifest
• palpable
• plain
• unmistakable
• obvious

Words that rhyme with patent

• noncombatant
• combatant