1. a person receiving health care from a licensed health professional. See inpatient; outpatient. See also patient–client issue.

2. in linguistics, the entity that is affected by or undergoes the main action described in a clause or sentence, such as door in James opened the door or James knocked on the door. The patient is usually the grammatical object and is easiest to identify when this is the case; however, door is both subject and patient in such constructions as The door was opened by James (see passive voice), The door swung open, and (in some analyses) The door is open. In case grammar, the term experiencer is sometimes used for a patient who is a sentient being, such as Angus in Angus felt threatened or Angus saw it all. Compare agent; instrumental.