# patent

/ˈpætənt/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/patent
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. legal protection for an invention

noun · CEFR B2

an official right given by the government to be the only person or company allowed to make, use, or sell a new invention for a certain number of years.

For teachers: a 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.

- The company applied for a patent to protect their new engine design from being copied.
- The pharmaceutical giant filed a patent for the new compound, ensuring they would remain the sole providers of the treatment for the next twenty years.

### 4. obvious

adjective · CEFR C1 · Formal

very clear and easy to see; obvious to everyone.

For teachers: easily recognisable or obvious; often used to describe qualities like lies, nonsense, or errors.

- It was a patent lie, but nobody in the room wanted to argue with him.
- The witness's testimony was filled with such patent contradictions that the jury found it impossible to believe his version of events.

### 5. protected by law

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical

protected by a patent so that other companies cannot make the same thing.

For teachers: relating to or being a product or process that is protected by a patent.

- The pharmacy sells both the patent medicine and a cheaper generic version.
- The hospital's procurement policy prioritises generic alternatives over patent drugs to manage the rising costs of patient care.

## Examples

- The inventor files a patent for her new device.
- The pharmaceutical company holds the patent on the new drug, preventing others from making it for twenty years.
- To avoid infringing on the existing patent, the engineers had to design a completely novel mechanism that achieved the same result through a different process.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.