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Definitions

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.

And later, in 1853, the U.S. patent office denied Hunt’s belated application for his 1830s sewing-machine invention.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

But Hunt didn’t patent his invention at the time, in part because his daughter owned a corset-making business in Manhattan.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

But long before that, in 1871, inventor Antonio Meucci received a “caveat,” a precursor to a patent, for his version of a telephone, which he called a speaking telegraph.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

Drugmakers are under pressure to continually find new drugs to replace older products that lose sales when their patent protection runs out.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

By 1930, the value of the Research Corporation’s patent rights exceeded $1 million.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik




Vocabulary lists containing patent