letters patent

plural noun

: a writing (as from a sovereign) that confers on a designated person a grant in a form open for public inspection

Examples of letters patent in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Two counselors can be appointed to act on the monarch’s behalf through what’s known as a letters patent and help keep the state ticking over. — Lauren Said-Moorhouse, CNN, 7 Feb. 2024 This is due to a letters patent issued by King George V in 1917, which stated that only the children of the sovereign, the children of the sons of the sovereign, and the eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales could be princes and princesses. — Erica Gonzales, ELLE, 8 Sep. 2022

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of letters patent was in the 14th century

Rhymes for letters patent

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letterspacing
letters patent
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Cite this Entry

“Letters patent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/letters%20patent. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.

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Legal Definition

letters patent

see letter sense 2

More from Merriam-Webster on letters patent

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about letters patent

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