PATENTS Synonyms: 36 Similar and Opposite Words

patents

noun

plural of patent

as in copyrights

Related Words

Relevance

as in grants

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of patents In the United States, meanwhile, dozens of patents should keep Wegovy generics off the market until 2039, said professor Robin Feldman, a patent expert at the University of California Law-San Francisco. — Elisabeth Rosenthal, Miami Herald, 13 May 2026 Viture further claims similar patents have have been rejected in China, and that Xreal’s patent adds only minor, appearance-level changes rather than true optical innovation. — Charlie Fink, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026 After all, patents do temporarily block rival companies from introducing copycat products to compete against the earlier inventor and patent holder. — David J. Kappos, Fortune, 8 Jan. 2026 For example, if prior art reveals that a new combination therapy improves treatment outcomes, officials may deem subsequent patents using the same drug cocktail as obvious and refuse to grant or enforce the patent. — Lucy Xiaolu Wang, The Conversation, 23 Sep. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for patents

Noun

My interest came from learning folk songs, memorable stories passed down over the generations in an oral sense before the American music business cut it up and started handing out ownership of copyrights and publishing.

— Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2026
All trademarks and copyrights of the Atlanta Dream and WNBA are used by permission.

— AJC.com, AJC.com, 13 July 2026

Definition of copyrights

Noun

Below is a list of the grants and their descriptions included in a news release from the governor's office.

— Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 27 Aug. 2026
The World Bank has poured hundreds of millions of dollars into grants for modernizing the Syrian financial sector, restoring water access, and bolstering its healthcare system.

— Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of grants

Noun

But my ultimate loyalty rests with the Constitution, which gives certain prerogatives to Congress.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 4 Aug. 2026
Exercising the prerogatives of citizenship meant a wearying, lifelong battle to mitigate harm—one that would invariably fail, as the experiences of one generation faded out of living memory and another one picked up the same arguments and same ideas to reconfigure them in new ways.

— Christopher Hooks, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026

Definition of prerogatives

Browse Nearby Words

patent medicines

patents

pater

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Patents.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/patents. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of patents

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

recalcitrant

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Games & Quizzes