Patients vs Patience | Difference & Meaning
You are a patient person or have patience if you are able to stay calm in a frustrating situation—if you “have patients,” you are probably a doctor.
- Patient is an adjective meaning “able to remain calm rather than become annoyed” (e.g., “You need to be a patient person to work with children”).
- Patience is an uncountable noun meaning “the ability to remain calm rather than become annoyed” (e.g., “I don’t have enough patience to work with children”).
- “Patient” is also a noun meaning “a person receiving medical treatment” (e.g., “Dr. Sanchez is treating a patient at the moment”). Patients (the plural form of this noun) and patience are often pronounced in the same way in natural, connected speech .
| Patient (adjective) in a sentence | Patience (uncountable noun) in a sentence | Patient (noun: medical meaning) in a sentence | Patients (plural: medical meaning) in a sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| The doctor was very patient with me and answered all my questions. | You need a lot of patience to work as an assistant in a busy doctor’s office. | I’d like to register as a new patient with Dr. Sanchez. | I’m afraid Dr. Sanchez isn’t accepting any new patients right now. |
Be patient meaning
To be patient means to stay composed, calm, and helpful in potentially frustrating situations. It is frequently used in the imperative mood as a request for understanding or tolerance.
I’m not very good with technology, so please be patient with me.
You have to be very patient to work in customer service.
I got frustrated; I should’ve been more patient.
He was calm, understanding, and very patient.
Have patience
To have patience means to be able to remain calm, composed, and helpful in potentially frustrating scenarios. It can be used as a synonym for the phrase “to be patient” (e.g., “She has a lot of patience” means the same as “She is very patient”).
I don’t think he has the patience to work in customer service.
If only I’d had more patience with him instead of losing my temper.
Patients vs patience
Patients is the plural of the noun “patient” (i.e., a person receiving medical treatment), but patience is a noun meaning “the ability to remain calm and composed rather than become angry or agitated” (e.g. “She lost patience with me”).
Patients and patience are sometimes confused, because they often sound exactly the same in everyday, natural speech .
| Patients in a sentence | Patience in a sentence |
|---|---|
| Our hospital treated over 5,000 patients last year. | Thanks for your patience while we fix the problem. |
| Two patients have just canceled, so the doctor could fit you in at 9:20 or 2:50 today. | I’m annoyed now; I’ve run out of patience. |
Patience is a virtue
The aphorism patience is a virtue means that patience—the ability to remain calm, composed, and determined when faced with frustration—is a positive personal quality. It is used to tell someone to be more patient and to mean “patience is required.”
Patience is a virtue in filmmaking because each project can take years to complete.
Frequently asked questions about patients vs patience
- What is a synonym for patient?
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Synonyms and near synonyms for the adjective patient include:
- Composed
- Gentle
- Tolerant
- Supportive
- Calm under pressure
Near synonyms for the noun patient include:
- Convalescent
- Sufferer
- Client
- Subject
- Case
On a related note, if you’re not sure if the right word is patient or patience, the adjective “patient” combines with “be” (e.g., “He was very patient and understanding”) and the noun “patience” with “have” (e.g., “I don’t have the patience to be a teacher”).
Have you tried QuillBot’s free Paraphraser? You can use it to help find the best synonym for “patient” in your specific context.
- What does patient zero mean?
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In an outbreak of an infectious disease, the term patient zero refers to the first known person to become infected with the disease.
On a related note, if you’re not sure if the word you need is patient or patience, “patient” is the adjective that often combines with “be” (e.g., “She was very patient and understanding”), while “patience” is the noun that often combines with “have” (e.g., “Do you think I have the patience to work with children?”).
Have you tried QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker? It can help you pick up errors in the use of commonly confused words such as “patient” and “patience.”
