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patently

adverb

Simple meaning

In a clear and unambiguous way.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

patuhntlee

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US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈpætəntli

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

adverb

  1. usually negative

    In a clear and unambiguous manner.

  2. botany

    Outspread, or spreading at right angles to the axis.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
C2 · Proficient (estimated)
Frequency
Uncommon
Typical Use
Primarily written

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: In a clear and unambiguous manner.

Used this way, patently is a reasonably familiar word with a clearly warm, approving pull. It quietly approves while staying precise.

Emotional tone
Positive
Formality
Neutral
Intensity
Gentle
How common
Moderately common
Connotation
Clear and precise
Usage feel
Precise and approving

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

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Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

patently falsepatently obviouspatently clearpatently unfairpatently impossiblepatently wrongpatently inadequatepatently unreasonable

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Similar Words, What’s the Difference?

Close in meaning, but not always interchangeable.

  • evidently

    In a manner which makes the fact or conclusion evident.

  • obviously

    In an obvious or clearly apparent manner.

  • apparently

    Plainly; clearly; manifestly; evidently.

Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Inflected forms

Grammatical variations of the same word.

  • patentnounBase word

    A document granting an inventor sole rights to an invention.

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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.