(law) An official document granting an appointment, privilege, or right, or some property or title; letters patent.
Used in a Sentence
patents
Definitions, parts of speech, synonyms, and sentence examples for patents.
Editorial note
Just because there are patents doesn't mean a person can't play around and even try to make money off of their work.
Examples13
Definitions4
Parts of speech1
Quick take
(law) An official document granting an appointment, privilege, or right, or some property or title; letters patent.
Meaning at a glance
The clearest senses and uses of patents gathered in one view.
(law) (specifically) (originally) A grant of a monopoly over the manufacture, sale, and use of goods.
(by extension) A product in respect of which a patent (sense 1.2.2) has been obtained.
Definitions
Core meanings and parts of speech for patents.
noun
(law) An official document granting an appointment, privilege, or right, or some property or title; letters patent.
noun
(law) (specifically) (originally) A grant of a monopoly over the manufacture, sale, and use of goods.
noun
(by extension) A product in respect of which a patent (sense 1.2.2) has been obtained.
noun
(figuratively) A licence or (formal) permission to do something.
Example sentences
Just because there are patents doesn't mean a person can't play around and even try to make money off of their work.
So Big Tent could theoretically sell the patents to another party and never register the sale with the PTO.
Keep making patents that are as stupid as possible in order to force a change in policy or legislation.
I've been discouraged from looking at software patents by lawyers because apparently knowledge that you're infringing can be bad news bears even if the patent is frivolous.
And note that patents did not prevent it from bruin developed in the first place.
In the past I have built both fast-data and big-data companies and have a few patents in this space.
The paper started with examples of entrepreneurial success that depend heavily upon government regulation; namely the artificial scarcity generated from copyright and patents.
Here's how you can give a concrete example: Those patents have expired.
But that's always been one of the rationalizations of patents.
Hi Daniel, We've filed patents on our work.
You could print copies of your own patents.
How about printing software patents on toilet paper?
Quote examples
I would prefer to put "silly" patents on my wall instead, such as [1], [2], [3].
Frequently asked questions
Short answers drawn from the clearest meanings and examples for this word.
How do you use patents in a sentence?
Just because there are patents doesn't mean a person can't play around and even try to make money off of their work.
What does patents mean?
(law) An official document granting an appointment, privilege, or right, or some property or title; letters patent.
What part of speech is patents?
patents is commonly used as noun.