patent - noun

a document granting an inventor sole rights to an invention

an official document granting a right or privilege

patent - verb

• obtain a patent for
• grant rights to; grant a patent for
• make open to sight or notice

patent - adjective

• (of a bodily tube or passageway) open; affording free passage
• clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment

patent - thesaurus

apparent   evident   manifest   plain   unmistakable