able to stay calm and not become annoyed or upset, especially while waiting or facing difficulties
Mia was patient while her brother tried to tie his shoes.
You must stay patient; the train will arrive soon.
✦ From Latin ‘patiēns’ present participle of ‘patī’ meaning ‘to suffer, endure’, later shifting to the idea of enduring calmly.
a person who is receiving medical care or treatment from a doctor, nurse, or hospital
The patient thanked the nurse for her kindness.
Each patient must fill out a health questionnaire before the appointment.
✦ From Middle French ‘patient’, from Latin ‘patiēns’ meaning ‘suffering, enduring’.
in linguistics, the person or thing that is affected by the action expressed by a verb
In the sentence “The cake was eaten by Sam,” “the cake” is the patient.
Many languages mark the patient with special case endings.
✦ Adopted into linguistics in the 20th century, extending the traditional medical sense of ‘patient’ to describe an entity that ‘undergoes’ an action.
easily annoyed or frustrated by delay or other people
The customers grew impatient when the bus didn't arrive.
My little brother gets very impatient if we have to wait for the elevator.
✦ From late Middle English, via French impacient from Latin impatiēns ‘lacking the ability to suffer (pain)’, based on in- ‘without’ + pati ‘to suffer’.
feeling or showing a strong desire for something to happen soon
The children were impatient to open their Christmas presents.
He felt impatient for the summer holidays to start.
