# patient

/ˈpeɪʃənt/ (US) · /pˈeɪʃənt/ (UK)

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

## Senses

### 1. willing to wait

adjective · CEFR A2

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

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

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

noun · CEFR A2

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

For teachers: an individual receiving medical, dental, or psychiatric treatment or care.

- The doctor spent twenty minutes talking to each patient in the waiting room.
- The hospital implemented a new digital system to track patient records more efficiently across different departments.

Usage: Countable noun.

### 3. grammar role

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical · Academic

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

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

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

## Examples

- You need to be patient while waiting for the bus.
- The teacher was very patient with the students who were struggling to understand the new math concept.
- Developing a complex skill like playing the violin requires one to be patient, as progress is often measured in months of repetitive practice rather than sudden breakthroughs.

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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.