patient
B1Formal, neutral, and technical (medical). The adjective is common in general and formal contexts. The noun is neutral in general use but technical in medical contexts.
Definition
Meaning
1) (adj.) Able to accept or tolerate delays, problems, or suffering without becoming annoyed or anxious. 2) (n.) A person receiving or registered to receive medical treatment.
As an adjective: demonstrating calm endurance. As a noun: a person under care or supervision in a non-medical context (e.g., a client of a lawyer, a student of a teacher), though this is less common.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The adjective and noun are homographs and homophones but are distinct lexical items (doublets). The connection is historical: both derive from the idea of 'suffering' or 'enduring.'
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. The noun is universally used in healthcare. 'Patient' as a noun for a 'client' (e.g., of a lawyer) is slightly more common in US English but rare in both.
Connotations
Identical. The adjective carries a positive connotation of virtue. The medical noun is neutral but can imply vulnerability.
Frequency
Both forms are extremely frequent in both varieties. The medical noun has higher frequency due to specialist use.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
be patient with [someone/something]patient of [something] (archaic/formal)patient in [a hospital/clinic]treat a patient for [a condition]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “A patient etherized upon a table (literary/T.S. Eliot)”
- “(just) be patient! (imperative)”
- “the patience of Job (related concept)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. Might be used in HR contexts: 'Managers must be patient with new trainees.'
Academic
Common in medical/health sciences literature for the noun. The adjective appears in psychology/social sciences.
Everyday
Very common for both forms: 'Be patient, dinner's almost ready.' 'She's a patient at St Mary's.'
Technical
Core technical term in healthcare, law, and ethics (e.g., 'patient autonomy', 'patient data', 'patient zero').
Examples
By Part of Speech
adverb
British English
- He waited patiently in the queue for hours.
American English
- She sat patiently while the technician fixed the computer.
adjective
British English
- You'll have to be patient and wait your turn.
- She was remarkably patient with the noisy children.
American English
- Just be patient, the results will post soon.
- He's very patient when explaining complex topics.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The doctor is talking to her patient.
- Please be patient. The bus is coming.
- Nurses must be kind and patient with all patients.
- It's important to remain patient while learning a new skill.
- Patient safety is the hospital's highest priority.
- After a patient assessment, the consultant recommended surgery.
- The therapist's patient demeanour put the anxious client at ease.
- The study followed a cohort of 500 patients with chronic hypertension.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a doctor WAITING calmly for a PATIENT to recover. Both the doctor (adjective) and the sick person (noun) are linked by waiting/enduring.
Conceptual Metaphor
PATIENCE IS A RESOURCE (to have/use/lose), PATIENCE IS A CONTAINER (to run out of), A PATIENT IS A RECIPIENT/CONTAINER (of care).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse adjective 'patient' (терпеливый) with noun 'patience' (терпение).
- The noun 'patient' (пациент) is used only for medical contexts in English, not for clients of other services like in Russian.
- Avoid calquing 'to patient' – the verb is 'to be patient' or 'to have patience'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'patient' as a verb (*'You need to patient'). Correct: 'You need to be patient.'
- Confusing 'patient' (n) with 'patience' (n): *'I lost my patient.' Correct: 'I lost my patience.'
- Spelling confusion with 'patent'.
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'patient' used as a noun?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, 'patient' is not a verb in modern English. The related verb is 'to be patient' or 'to have patience'. The action is 'to wait patiently'.
In professional contexts, 'patient' is used almost exclusively for someone receiving medical or psychiatric care. 'Client' is used for someone receiving services from a lawyer, accountant, therapist (in some models), or business.
Yes, in veterinary medicine, an animal receiving care is also called a patient.
The abstract noun form is 'patience' (meaning the quality of being patient). The concrete noun form 'patient' (a sick person) is a different word.
Collections
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