# patient

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈpeɪʃənt/ · frequency rank #1,769

## Definitions
1. Willing to wait if necessary; not losing one's temper while waiting.
2. Constant in pursuit or exertion; persevering; calmly diligent.
3. Physically able to suffer or bear.

## Etymology
From Middle English pacient, from Middle French patient, from Old French pacient, from Latin patiens, present participle of patior (“to suffer, endure”), from Proto-Indo-European *peh₁- (“to hate, hurt”).

## Easily confused with
- **potent** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/patient-vs-potent)
- **patten** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/patient-vs-patten)
- **patina** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/patient-vs-patina)
- **payment** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/patient-vs-payment)
- **patiently** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/patient-vs-patiently)
- **paint** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/paint-vs-patient)
- **parent** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/parent-vs-patient)
- **patent** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/patent-vs-patient)
- **patience** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/patience-vs-patient)

## Common misspellings (10)
`aptient`, `paitent`, `pateint`, `patiennt`, `patientt`, `patietn`, `patinet`, `pattient`, `ppatient`, `ptaient`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/patient