WordGarden.iopatency
B2Pronunciation
UK
US
- /pˈeɪtənsi/
Meanings
Noun
the state of a vessel, airway, duct, or catheter being open and unobstructed
the quality of being plain, obvious, or easy to recognize
the degree of openness of the vocal tract in pronouncing a speech sound
Beyond the definition
Patency is not an everyday word, but its core idea is simple: something is open and not blocked. You will most often meet it in medicine. If a blood vessel, airway, or tube has patency, it is open enough for air, blood, or fluid to pass through. In more general or formal writing, it can also suggest that something is plain to see or clearly present. The word points to openness, free passage, or clear visibility.
The word "patency" refers to the state of being open, unobstructed, or clearly noticeable. It is most common in medical and technical contexts, where the idea of free passage is central.
In medicine, this is the use you are most likely to see. Doctors may talk about the patency of an artery, vein, airway, stent, graft, or catheter. If patency is good, the structure is open and things can move through it as they should. If patency is lost, there is some blockage, narrowing, or closure. That is why the word often appears in reports about surgery, recovery, and follow-up checks.
Outside medicine, "patency" can still keep the same basic idea of openness or plainness. In formal writing, it may describe something that is obvious, easy to notice, or openly shown. For example, a writer might refer to the patency of an error, a contradiction, or a person's intent. This use is much less common than the medical one, but it is still part of the word's range.
The word is related to "patent" in its older sense of "open" or "clear," not mainly to a legal patent for an invention. That older sense helps explain why "patency" is about openness rather than ownership or legal rights.
So, when you see "patency," think first of a passage that stays open, especially in the body. In broader use, think of something that stands out clearly and is not hidden.
Examples
- 1
Artery check
After the stent was inserted, an ultrasound showed good patency in the artery.
- 2
Catheter monitoring
The team monitored catheter patency during the night so the medicine could flow properly.
- 3
Bypass grafts
The study compared five-year patency rates for two types of bypass graft.
- Phrasepatency rate
how often a vessel or tube stays open over time
See also
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- patencynoun