patient

(pāˈshənt)

1. Bearing or enduring pain, difficulty, provocation, or annoyance with calmness.
2. Marked by or exhibiting calm endurance of pain, difficulty, provocation, or annoyance.
3. Tolerant; understanding: an unfailingly patient leader and guide.
4. Persevering; constant: With patient industry, she revived the failing business and made it thrive.
5. Capable of calmly awaiting an outcome or result; not hasty or impulsive.
6. Capable of bearing or enduring pain, difficulty, provocation, or annoyance: “My uncle Toby was a man patient of injuries” (Laurence Sterne).

1. One who receives medical attention, care, or treatment.
2. Linguistics A noun or noun phrase identifying one that is acted upon or undergoes an action. Also called goal.
3. Archaic One who suffers.

Related Forms:

• paˈtient·ly adverb