A patent is an official grant giving an inventor the sole right to an invention; as an adjective it means obvious. Patient means able to wait without complaint, and as a noun it is a person under medical care. File a patent; be patient; the patient recovered. One letter, unrelated meanings, different sounds.
The core difference
- patent — noun: an exclusive legal right to an invention. Patent pending, a patent on the design. Adjective: obvious, a patent lie; also patent leather.
- patient — adjective: calm in the face of delay or difficulty. Be patient with him. Noun: a person receiving medical treatment. The patient is stable.
The tell
Say them aloud. Patient is PAY-shunt, with a sh. Patent is PAT-unt in British English and PAY-tunt in American, and there is no sh anywhere in it. On the page, patient has the i; a patient person has the time to write the extra letter.
In use
- patent — The firm holds a patent on the hinge. It was a patent excuse and everyone knew it.
- patient — Be patient — it takes time. The patient was discharged on Friday.
Common slips
- the doctor saw the patent → the doctor saw the patient
- patient pending → patent pending
Patient has the sh sound and the i; patent has neither.
Where the words come from
Patent is from Latin patere, "to lie open". A letter patent was an open letter from the Crown, readable by all, granting a right — hence both the legal sense and the adjective "obvious, open to view". Patient is from Latin pati, "to suffer, to endure": a patient person endures delay, and a medical patient is one who suffers.
Frequently asked questions
How do you pronounce patent?
PAT-unt in British English, PAY-tunt in American. Patient is PAY-shunt in both.
What does "patent pending" mean?
A patent application has been filed and is awaiting a decision. It warns competitors that protection is coming.
Does patient as a noun come from being patient?
Indirectly. Both come from Latin pati, to suffer or endure. A patient endures illness; a patient person endures delay.