ett patent

Definition & meaning

Patent has two main uses:

1. A patent: a legal right granted for an invention, allowing its holder to prevent others from commercially exploiting it for a limited period.
2. Patent as an adjective: practical, clever, or ingenious. It can describe a person or a solution.

Grammar & Word origin

As a noun, patent is an ett-word: ett patent, patentet, patent, patenten.

As an adjective, patent has the same form in the singular and plural: en patent lösning, ett patent knep, patenta lösningar. The plural and definite form is patenta.

The word comes through French from Latin patens, meaning “open” or “accessible.” In the legal sense, it originally referred to an open document granting a right.

Synonyms & antonyms

For the adjective:

• praktisk ↗ — “practical”; emphasizes usefulness rather than ingenuity.
• påhittig ↗ — “inventive”; usually emphasizes a person’s ability to come up with ideas.
• opraktisk ↗ — “impractical”; an approximate opposite when patent means practical.

The legal noun has no exact everyday synonym.

Common phrases & collocations

• ta patent på ↗ — to obtain a patent for.
• söka patent ↗ — to apply for a patent.
• en patent lösning ↗ — a clever or practical solution.