1. a. Law. A document conferring some privilege, right, office, title, or property; = letters patent n. at PATENT adj. 1a.

c1387-95 CHAUCER Canterbury Tales Prol. 315 Iustice he was ful often in assise By patente and by pleyn commissioun. 1399 Rolls of Parl. III. 452/1 All the Patentes and Charters that they or any of hem hath..be olden uppe into the Chauncellerie. c1400 (c1378) LANGLAND Piers Plowman (Laud) B. XIV. 191 Ac e perchemyn of is patent of pouerte be moste. 1450 Paston Lett. (1976) II. 38 As for the Duche on this side Trent, Ser Thomas Tudenham had a ioynte patent with the Duke of Suffolk. c1500 (?a1475) Assembly of Gods (1896) 494, I wold nat yeue ii pesecoddys For graunt of your patent of offyce ner of fee. 1587 R. HOLINSHED Chron. III. 1245/1 The kings patent, or open writ, or commandement, vnder the seale of Edward the kings eldest son.

    3. Commercial Law. A licence conferring the sole right to manufacture, sell, or deal in a product or commodity; (now) spec. a licence from a government conferring for a set period the sole right to make, use, or sell some process or invention; a right conferred in this way.

    6. fig. A quality or tendency that is characteristic of someone in particular; a thing belonging to a particular person; a monopoly (in the weakened sense).