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patent

[pat-nt, peyt-, peyt-nt] / ˈpæt nt, ˈpeɪt-, ˈpeɪt nt /


NOUN
copyright on an invention
Synonyms
Antonyms
STRONGEST


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

China accounted for 60% of all quantum patent applications as of 2024, though a smaller share actually were granted.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

J&J has been working to ensure consistent growth after losing patent protection for Stelara, a treatment for skin and digestive conditions.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

Of the roughly $700 billion in annual revenue generated by the world’s 14 largest drug companies, nearly half of it will face patent expiration by 2031, according to investment-bank Needham.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

While Walter Hunt’s daughter dissuaded her father from obtaining a sewing-machine patent, Elias Howe Jr.’s wife inspired her husband to get one.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

I watched dumbly as a shutter of recognition clicked across the blur of tenderness and the wide pupils went glossy and depthless as patent leather.

From "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath




Vocabulary lists containing patent