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REFERENCE

patient

adj. · n.
US //ˈpeɪʃənt// UK //pˈeɪʃənt// pa·tient
  1. 1 willing to wait (adj.)
    A2 Elementary

    able to stay calm and wait for a long time without getting angry.

    demonstrating the ability to endure waiting, delay, or frustration without becoming annoyed or upset.

    Example

    You need to be patient with the new students while they learn the rules.

    Example

    The negotiator remained remarkably patient throughout the twelve-hour session, refusing to let the other side's provocations break his composure.

    Usage

    Often followed by the preposition 'with' when referring to people.
  2. 2 medical recipient (n.)
    A2 Elementary Medicine

    a person who is receiving medical treatment from a doctor or hospital.

    an individual receiving medical, dental, or psychiatric treatment or care.

    Example

    The doctor spent twenty minutes talking to each patient in the waiting room.

    Example

    The hospital implemented a new digital system to track patient records more efficiently across different departments.

    Usage

    Countable noun.
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  1. 3 grammar role (n.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Academic Science

    the person or thing in a sentence that receives the action of a verb.

    the semantic role of an entity that is acted upon or has its state changed by the action of a verb.

    Example

    In the sentence 'The ball was kicked', the ball is the patient.

    Example

    Linguistic analysis often distinguishes between the grammatical object and the semantic patient, especially when examining passive voice constructions.

    Usage

    Used in the context of thematic relations and semantic roles.
Origin

From Middle English pacient, from Middle French patient, from Old French pacient, from Latin patiens, present participle of patior (“to suffer, endure”), from Proto-Indo-European *peh₁- (“to hate, hurt”).

Word family

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