letters patent en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /-ˈpæ-/ (Received-Pronunciation) slightly less common
- (US) audio
- /ˌlɛtɚz ˈpætənt/ (General-American)
- /ˌlɛtəz ˈpeɪtənt/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /-ˈpeɪ-/ (General-American, rare)
Etymology
From letters patents (archaic), from Late Middle English lettres patentes, lettres patent (“document or documents granting a privilege, power, or right, making an appointment or decree, etc.”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman lettres patentes (the plural of lettre patente), from Latin litterae patentēs, the plural of littera patēns (so called because they were written on open sheets of parchment), from littera (“letter”) + patēns (“accessible, open”) (the present active participle of pateō (“to be accessible or open; to be clear or evident”), from Proto-Indo-European *peth₂- (“to spread out; to fly”)). The English term is analysable as letters + patent (“open, unconcealed; (archaic) open to public perusal”).
Meanings
-
(form-of, plural) plural of letter patent
form of letter patent
- (plural, plural-only) A type of legal document in the form of an open letter issued by an authority to direct that some action be taken; to grant a monopoly, right, status, or title to a person or organization; to record a contract.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| letter patent | alternative | lexicographic |
Antonyms
Hypernyms
Translations (40)
ms surat paten (type of legal document in the form of an open letter issued by an authority) · fi patentti (type of legal document in the form of an open letter issued by an authority) · de Patentschrift (type of legal document in the form of an open letter issued by an authority) · pl patent (type of legal document in the form of an open letter issued by an authority) · te నామా (type of legal document in the form of an open letter issued by an authority) · ja 勅許状 (type of legal document in the form of an open letter issued by an authority) · ja 開封特許状 (type of legal document in the form of an open letter issued by an authority) · fr lettres patentes (type of legal document in the form of an open letter issued by an authority) · ar براءة تمليك (type of legal document in the form of an open letter issued by an authority) · fi valtakirja (type of legal document in the form of an open letter issued by an authority) · tr berat (type of legal document in the form of an open letter issued by an authority) · fa فرمان علنی (type of legal document in the form of an open letter issued by an authority) · enm patent (type of legal document in the form of an open letter issued by an authority) · id surat paten (type of legal document in the form of an open letter issued by an authority) · es patente de privilegio (type of legal document in the form of an open letter issued by an authority) · de Patent (type of legal document in the form of an open letter issued by an authority) · es cédula de privilegio (type of legal document in the form of an open letter issued by an authority) · nl octrooi (type of legal document in the form of an open letter issued by an authority) · fi patenttikirja (type of legal document in the form of an open letter issued by an authority) · hu kiváltságlevél (type of legal document in the form of an open letter issued by an authority) · ca carta patent (type of legal document in the form of an open letter issued by an authority) · hu nemeslevél (type of legal document in the form of an open letter issued by an authority) · ja 特許状 (type of legal document in the form of an open letter issued by an authority) · sv kungligt brev (type of legal document in the form of an open letter issued by an authority) · pt carta-patente (type of legal document in the form of an open letter issued by an authority) · ota برات (type of legal document in the form of an open letter issued by an authority) · mk па́тентна по́тврда (type of legal document in the form of an open letter issued by an authority) · de Patenturkunde (type of legal document in the form of an open letter issued by an authority) · ru патентная гра́мота (type of legal document in the form of an open letter issued by an authority) · tr patent (type of legal document in the form of an open letter issued by an authority) · he מכתב הרשאה (type of legal document in the form of an open letter issued by an authority) · cmn 專利特許證 /专利特许证 (type of legal document in the form of an open letter issued by an authority) · it lettere patenti (type of legal document in the form of an open letter issued by an authority) · fi lupakirja (type of legal document in the form of an open letter issued by an authority) · af patentbrief (type of legal document in the form of an open letter issued by an authority) · hu pátens (type of legal document in the form of an open letter issued by an authority) · enm lettres patentes (type of legal document in the form of an open letter issued by an authority) · nl wapendiploma (type of legal document in the form of an open letter issued by an authority) · tr imtiyazname (type of legal document in the form of an open letter issued by an authority) · la litterae patentēs (type of legal document in the form of an open letter issued by an authority)