letters patent

Definition

A letters patent is an official government document that grants a person or business an exclusive right, privilege, or title that is enforceable against everyone else in the public. Today, most people encounter this term in the context of patents for inventions, where the government gives you the sole right to make, sell, or use your invention for a set period of time. The word 'patent' literally means 'open' in Latin, because historically these documents were publicly displayed rather than sealed shut like private letters.