Patient

Pronunciation

Origin

From Latin patiens, present participle of pati ("to suffer, endure"); akin to Greek πάσχειν (paskhein, "to suffer"); see pathos, from Proto-Indo-European *pē(i)- "to hurt" pē(i)- 792.

Full definition of patient

Adjective

1. Content to wait if necessary; not losing one's temper while waiting.Be patient: your friends will arrive in a few hours.
2. Constant in pursuit or exertion; persevering; calmly diligent.patient endeavour
• Sir Isaac NewtonWhatever I have done is due to patient thought.
3. (obsolete) Physically able to suffer or bear.
• Bishop Fellpatient of severest toil and hardship

Synonyms

• composed

Antonyms

• impatient
• antsy

Derived terms

• patiently

Related terms

• passion
• passionate
• passive
• passivity
• patience

Noun

1. A person or animal who receives treatment from a doctor or other medically educated person.
• 1918, W. B. Maxwell, The Mirror and the Lamp Chapter 23, The slightest effort made the patient cough. He would stand leaning on a stick and holding a hand to his side, and when the paroxysm had passed it left him shaking.
• 2013-06-01, A better waterworks, An artificial kidney these days still means a refrigerator-sized dialysis machine. Such devices mimic...real kidneys.... But they are nothing like as efficient, and can cause bleeding, clotting and infection—not to mention inconvenience for patients, who typically need to be hooked up to one three times a week for hours at a time.
2. (linguistics, grammar) The noun or noun phrase that is semantically on the receiving end of a verb's action.
   The subject of a passive verb is usually a patient.
3. One who, or that which, is passively affected; a passive recipient.
• Gov. of TongueMalice is a passion so impetuous and precipitate that often involves the agent and the patient.

Antonyms

• (linguistics, grammar) agent

Derived terms

Anagrams

• antipet