Patent office

Pronunciation: /ˈpætənt ˈɔfɪs/

Patent office (noun)

  1. A government department that receives patent applications and decides whether inventions can be legally protected.
  2. The place where patent documents are kept and where the public can search information about registered inventions.

Examples

  • The patent office reviews government patents before granting protection.
  • Government patents are filed with the patent office for examination.