adjective

1. 1. open to examination by the public: said of a document granting some right or rights, as to land, a franchise, an office, or, now esp., an invention letters patent
   2. granted or appointed by letters patent
2. open to all; generally accessible or available
3. obvious; plain; evident a patent lie
4. open or unobstructed
5. 1. protected by a patent; patented
   2. of or having to do with patents or the granting of patents patent law
6. produced or sold as a proprietary product
7. new, unusual, individual, etc.
   also patented
8. Bot., Zool. spreading out or open; patulous

Etymology: ME < MFr & L: MFr patent < L patens, prp. of patere, to be open: see patella

noun

1. an official document open to public examination and granting a certain right or privilege; letters patent; esp., a document granting the exclusive right to produce, sell, or get profit from an invention, process, etc. for a specific number of years
2. 1. the right so granted
   2. the thing protected by such a right; patented article or process
3. public land, or title to such land, granted to a person by letters patent
4. any exclusive right, title, or license

transitive verb

1. to grant a patent to or for
2. to secure exclusive right to produce, use, and sell (an invention or process) by a patent; get a patent for