Patent  —n. 1 official document conferring a right or title, esp. The sole right to make, use, or sell a specified invention. 2 invention or process so protected. —adj. 1  obvious, plain. 2 conferred or protected by patent. 3 a proprietary. B to which one has a proprietary claim. —v. Obtain a patent for (an invention).  patently adv. (in sense 1 of adj.). [latin pateo lie open]