Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adverb In a patent manner; openly, plainly, or clearly.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • In a patent manner; openly; plainly; unmistakably: as, patently fallacious.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adverb Openly; evidently.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adverb In a clear and unambiguous manner.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adverb unmistakably (`plain' is often used informally for `plainly')

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

patent +‎ -ly

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Examples

  • In a letter sent to the panel's members on Tuesday, James J. Gerace, president of Verizon's New York region, accused the Communication Workers of America, which represents many of the striking employees, of fomenting a campaign against the contract by disseminating what he called "patently false" information about Verizon's role in the theft charges.

    NYT > Home Page By FERNANDA SANTOS 2011

  • In a letter sent to the panel's members on Tuesday, James J. Gerace, president of Verizon's New York region, accused the Communication Workers of America, which represents many of the striking employees, of fomenting a campaign against the contract by disseminating what he called "patently false" information about Verizon's role in the theft charges.

    NYT > Home Page By FERNANDA SANTOS 2011

  • It's exaggeration to absurdity, to a point where it obviously, patently is not meant to be taken literally, for crying out loud.

    Archive 2006-06-01 Hal Duncan 2006

  • It's exaggeration to absurdity, to a point where it obviously, patently is not meant to be taken literally, for crying out loud.

    Hype Hype Hoorah! Hal Duncan 2006

  • What is democracy if the publics' expressed intentions about an act being done in our name is patently and blatantly ignored?

    Diann Rust-Tierney: Georgia's Death Penalty: Unequal and Unresponsive Diann Rust-Tierney 2011

  • Just last week, Sen. Daniel Inouye sent $100,000 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee so it could air more attacks on me, attacks that have already been called patently false.

    Catch the Wave: Let’s Win Back Barack Obama’s Home District | RedState 2010

  • The Commission defines indecent speech as language that, in context, depicts or describes sexual or excretory activities or organs in terms patently offensive as measured by contemporary community standards for the broadcast medium.

    The Volokh Conspiracy » FCC v. Fox Television Stations, Part III: Bono and the FCC’s change of course. 2009

  • After some back-and-forth between the FCC and WBAI, the FCC released in 1975 a declaratory order concerning the broadcast of “indecent” language, defining “indecent” as words that describe “in terms patently offensive as measured by contemporary community standards sexual or excretory activities and organs at times of the day when there is a reasonable risk that children may be in the audience.”

    Last Words George Carlin 2009

  • Says the appeals court: Because Reno holds that a regulation that covers speech that "in context, depicts or describes, in terms patently offensive as measured by contemporary community standards, sexual or excretory activities or organs" is unconstitutionally vague, we are skeptical that the FCC's identically-worded indecency test could nevertheless provide the requisite clarity to withstand constitutional scrutiny.

    Jeff Jarvis: The First Amendment Wins One 2008

  • Or, as the CDA dictates, should they have to curb their expression -- even certain constitutionally protected speech with redeeming social value like sex education, highfalutin nude art and George Carlin comedy routines -- so that Net-surfing children will not be exposed to so-called patently offensive content?

    U.S. V. The Internet 2008

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