patient
adjective
pa·tient
| \ ˈpā-shənt
\
\
Definition of patient
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: bearing pains or trials calmly or without complaint
2
: manifesting forbearance under provocation or strain
3
: not hasty or impetuous
4
: steadfast despite opposition, difficulty, or adversity
5a
: able or willing to bear
—used with of
b
: susceptible, admitting
patient of one interpretation
patient
noun
pa·tient
| \ ˈpā-shənt
\
\
Definition of patient (Entry 2 of 2)
1a
: an individual awaiting or under medical care and treatment
cancer patients psychiatric patients
b
: the recipient of any of various personal services
2
: one that is acted upon
are agents as well as patients and observers in the world— C. H. Whiteley
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Synonyms & Antonyms for patient
Synonyms: Adjective
forbearing, long-suffering, stoic (or stoical), tolerant, uncomplaining
Synonyms: Noun
Antonyms: Adjective
complaining, fed up, impatient, kvetching, kvetchy, protesting
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Examples of patient in a Sentence
Adjective
To pry apart violent Islamic radicals, the United States has to become knowledgeable about internal cleavages and be patient in exploiting them. — Samantha Power, New York Times Book Review, 29 July 2007 I pack them into the compartment for a visit, pack till it's full far beyond capacity and weep with them, share with them my scanty bit of good fortune, tell them I care, tell them be patient, tell them I'm on their side … — John Edgar Wideman, Harper's, December 2003 There's no sense being patient with people who make you wait, because they'll only make you wait longer the next time. — Andrew A. Rooney, And More by Andy Rooney, (1979) 1982 I hate having to stand in long lines. I'm just not very patient. The teacher treated her students in a patient and understanding way. “Aren't you finished yet?” “Be patient. I'll be done soon.” Proofreading requires patient attention to detail. They put in years of patient labor on the project.Noun
Several patients were waiting to see the doctor. the nurse asked the patient to change into a paper gown
Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
Miller was charged with six counts of aggravated manslaughter and three counts of tampering with or fabricating evidence in connection with patient medical records. — al, "Florida nursing home employees charged in 12 Hurricane Irma deaths," 27 Aug. 2019 In 2017, the program experienced an alarming number of patient deaths, eventually losing twice the number of people than analysts expected. — oregonlive.com, "OHSU announces it could start heart transplants again," 27 Aug. 2019 Althia Meggie, a registered nurse, faces two counts of aggravated manslaughter and two counts of tampering with evidence in connection with patient medical records. — Susan Scutti, CNN, "More arrests expected in 12 deaths at Florida nursing home, police say," 27 Aug. 2019 Miller was charged with six counts of aggravated manslaughter and three counts of tampering with or fabricating evidence in connection with patient medical records. — Mark Berman, Washington Post, "Florida nursing home employees charged with manslaughter for deaths of 12 in sweltering facility," 27 Aug. 2019 They were intrigued enough to present a case report — a type of medical paper on unusual or provocative patient findings. — NBC News, "Years ago, this doctor linked a mysterious lung disease to vaping," 24 Aug. 2019 At the same time, the Bears can’t ignore the potential benefits of taking a more patient approach in grooming Pineiro. — Dan Wiederer, chicagotribune.com, "On ‘thin ice,’ Bears kicker Eddy Pineiro finds his footing and nails a 58-yard field goal versus the Colts," 24 Aug. 2019 General manager Chris Ballard and coach Frank Reich had taken a measured and patient approach in building a team that already looked like a contender. — Michael Middlehurst-schwartz, USA TODAY, "NFL preseason winners, losers: Patriots reload, while Colts, Chargers take hits," 23 Aug. 2019 Manivel constructs this half-hour segment as as a kind of fly-on-the-wall documentary, emphasizing the warm and productive bond between patient tutor and her assiduous student. — Neil Young, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Isadora's Children' ('Les Enfants d'Isadora'): Film Review | Locarno 2019," 22 Aug. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
The doctor, Reginald Archibald, has been accused of molesting hundreds of child patients over a 30-year period. — David Klepper, BostonGlobe.com, "Flurry of suits emerge as NY opens door to old abuse claims," 14 Aug. 2019 Within two years, the number of patients current on the vaccine went from 2,993 to 4,273 — a 42.7 percent increase. — Laura Garcia, ExpressNews.com, "Texas ranks near bottom for children vaccinated against HPV," 14 Aug. 2019 The doctor, Reginald Archibald, has been accused of molesting hundreds of child patients over a 30-year period. — Washington Post, "Flurry of suits emerge as NY opens door to old abuse claims," 14 Aug. 2019 The rate of patients cured jumped from 33 percent to 90 percent or greater, but the lawsuit says the Connecticut Department of Correction failed to take advantage of the medical advances and adopt a workable policy on screening and treatment. — Josh Kovner, courant.com, "Facing class action lawsuit, prison system announces plan to test and treat all inmates for hepatitis C; cost could exceed $150M," 13 Aug. 2019 By contrast, 53% of patients who received the anti-viral drug remdesivir died, as did 49% of those who received ZMapp, an antibody treatment that was tested during a major Ebola outbreak in West Africa from 2014 to 2016. — Amy Maxmen, Scientific American, "Two Ebola Drugs Show Promise Amid Ongoing Outbreak," 13 Aug. 2019 In the study, researchers at the U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) used MRIs to scan the brains of hundreds of patients with high blood pressure. — Robert Preidt, CBS News, "Controlling blood pressure may help ward off dementia," 13 Aug. 2019 From the trial's early data, 49% of patients given ZMapp died, as did 53% of those receiving remdesivir. — Beth Mole, Ars Technica, "Two Ebola drugs boost survival rates, according to early trial data," 13 Aug. 2019 Overall, 49% of patients receiving ZMapp—and 53% of those who received remdesivir—died, compared with only 29% of those on REGN-EB3. — Kai Kupferschmidt, Science | AAAS, "Finally, some good news about Ebola: Two new treatments dramatically lower the death rate in a trial," 12 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'patient.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for patient
patient
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of patient
(Entry 1 of 2)
: able to remain calm and not become annoyed when waiting for a long time or when dealing with problems or difficult people