Patent
/ˈpæt.ənt/noun
An exclusive legal right granted for an invention, or something open and obvious.
Did you know?Patent comes from Latin *patēns*, meaning “open” or “spreading,” the same root behind words about openness and exposure—not invention itself.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*peh₂-
“to spread, open out”
Latin
Latin
patēre
“to be open, lie open”
Latin
Latin
patēns
“open, exposed, evident”
Middle English
English
patent
“open, manifest, publicly visible”
15th Century
Latin
litterae patentes
“open letters; official documents open for all to read”
Modern English
English
patent
“an exclusive legal right for an invention; also, open or obvious”
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