patient Hear it!

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patient definition

pa·tient (pā′s̸hənt)

adjective

  1. bearing or enduring pain, trouble, etc. without complaining or losing self-control
  2. refusing to be provoked or angered, as by an insult; forbearing; tolerant
  3. calmly tolerating delay, confusion, inefficiency, etc.
  4. able to wait calmly for something desired
  5. showing or characterized by patience a patient face
  6. steady; diligent; persevering a patient worker
  7. Rare receiving action; passive

Etymology: ME pacient < OFr < L patiens, patient, prp. of pati: see passion

noun

  1. a person receiving care or treatment, esp. from a doctor
  2. Rare a person who receives an action
  3. Gram. the word or words designating the person or thing affected by the action of the verb

Related Forms:

patient Idioms

patient of

  1. capable of bearing (fatigue, thirst, etc.)
  2. admitting of or having (a certain meaning)

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

medical patient definition - medical

patient Synonyms

patient

modif.

  1. Enduring without complaint

    forbearing, mild-tempered, composed, tranquil, serene, long-suffering, unruffled, imperturbable, passive, submissive, weak, cold-blooded, easy-going, philosophic, tolerant, gentle, unresentful; see also resigned.

    Antonyms irritable*, violent*, resentful. *

  2. Quietly persistent in an activity

    pertinacious, assiduous, steady, dependable, calm, reliable, placid, stable, composed, unwavering, imperturbable, quiet, serene, unimpassioned, dispassionate, enduring; see also regular 3.

    Antonyms restless*, irrepressible*, feverish.


patient

n.

case, inmate, victim, sufferer, sick individual, ill individual, one seeking help, one seeking cure, one seeking relief, outpatient, inpatient, bed patient, emergency ward patient, convalescent, one recovering from an illness, one recovering from an injury, hospital case, hospitalized person, subject, victim.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

patient Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • treat: Patients treated with rivastigmine improved across a wide range of symptoms.

Modifies a noun

  • care: Her idea was to create a framework for delivery of high quality patient care.

Adjective modifier

  • elderly: Elderly Patients with Mental Health Difficulties: The above will also apply here.

Preposition: with

  • epilepsy: This will aid our understanding of why some patients with epilepsy have problems with developing speech and language.

Noun used with modifier

  • cancer: This is a natural reaction by anyone, not only cancer patients.
patient usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

patient quotes

As if you would call a physician, that is thought good for the cure of the disease you complain of but is Bacon unacquainted with your body, and therefore may put you in the way for a present cure but overthroweth your health in some other kind; and so cure the disease and kill the patient.

-Bacon, Francis,Viscount St Albans

Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

-Bible (Old Testament)

If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apttoteach; Not giventowine, nostriker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous.

-Bible (NewTestament)

patient quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"patient." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/patient>

APA Style

patient. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 4th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/patient

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