patient 1 of 2

noun

ˈpā-shənt How to pronounce patient (audio)
Definition of patientnext
as in case
an individual awaiting or under medical care and treatment the nurse asked the patient to change into a paper gown

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patient

2 of 2

adjective

ˈpā-shənt How to pronounce patient (audio)
1
as in stoic
accepting pains or hardships calmly or without complaint you were very patient about having to wait for me for so long

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in persistent
continuing despite difficulties, opposition, or discouragement a patient effort to finish college despite the mounting debts

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 patient
Noun
Consider, for instance, the tense conversations between healthcare professionals who disagree about whether the best course of treatment for a patient is to turn to hospice services. — Deborah Mower, The Conversation, 2 July 2026 Maintenance inhalers are either long-acting airway dilators or anti-inflammatory medications like steroids that patients should take daily. — Alexandra Frost, USA Today, 5 July 2026
Adjective
Driving health inequity ERISA’s constraints on patient protections have far-reaching effects. — Miranda Yaver, The Conversation, 2 July 2026 Success will depend less on constructing facilities than on securing long-term buyers, trusted regulators, technology transfer, and patient capital that can sustain long-term production. — Paul Adepoju, semafor.com, 2 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for patient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for patient
  1. case
  2. stoic
  3. persistent
  4. victim
  5. obedient
  6. insistent
  7. passive
  8. subordinate
Noun
  • As of July 6, 23 cases of Legionnaires' disease have been confirmed in two of Manhattan's Upper East Side neighborhoods, according to the New York City Department of Health.
    — Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 7 July 2026
  • Multiple references are made to an op-ed Weist wrote making a case for greater regulation of the private investigator industry.
    — Rhoda Feng, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
Definition of case
Adjective
  • The most remarkable performance in the film, however, may be that of real-life counselor Annette Deao, whose firm hand and sympathetic guidance lend Union County its stoic nature.
    — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 1 July 2026
  • Vladimir Petković, the usually stoic 62-year-old coach of Algeria, said he got goosebumps from the way Lawrence has treated his team.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 28 June 2026
Definition of stoic
Adjective
  • In his inital letter, Lehmkuhl agreed that there is an urgent need to clear debris and address the persistent odor of millions of pounds of rotting food at the site.
    — Jasmine Mendez Follow, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026
  • Though effective medication exists, the issue is persistent in areas with a lack of easy access to testing, treatment and clean water so people don't rely on local bodies of water for drinking and bathing.
    — William McCarthy, NPR, 4 July 2026
Definition of persistent
Noun
  • The families of the victims said the pain is still as raw to this day.
    — Madisen Keavy, CBS News, 2 July 2026
  • Most of the victims lived nearby, and funeral prayers were expected later Tuesday.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 1 July 2026
Definition of victim
Adjective
  • Second, victims of higher taxes don’t stand still and get sheared like obedient sheep.
    — Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026
  • The dogs Kostyukevich saw on Happy K9 Academy’s Instagram page seemed happy and obedient.
    — Taylor Romine, CNN Money, 25 June 2026
Definition of obedient
Adjective
  • The loud and insistent residents of Monterey Park showed that shaming and pressuring politicians can work.
    — Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026
  • What most interests me about The Emergency Playbook is how, beneath the sunny tone, there’s a calm but insistent moral outrage on display.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 25 June 2026
Definition of insistent
Adjective
  • And for many women, tapping into that passive income could be a real lifeline in a cost-of-living crisis.
    — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 3 July 2026
  • The physical configuration achieves passive safety operational profiles by relying on subcritical physics variables and inherent material limitations.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 3 July 2026
Definition of passive
Adjective
  • Executive Vulnerability How a leader reacts in the five-second window after being corrected by a subordinate determines the future of that company’s innovation.
    — William DeCourcy, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026
  • The economic order must remain subordinate to human dignity and the common good.
    — Scott Simon, NPR, 30 May 2026
Definition of subordinate

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Cite this Entry

“Patient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/patient. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on patient

Nglish: Translation of patient for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about patient

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