What Does Patience Mean?
In its dictionary definition, patience is the ability to wait calmly for a long time or to deal with problems and misfortunes with little frustration. Throughout human history, patience has indeed been a virtue, and many famous writers, from Aristotle to Tolstoy, have written about it!
However, the common word can often cause trouble and confusion for most English writers. For instance, should we say that we have patience? Or perhaps that we are being patient? To clear these misconceptions, you can both be patient and have patience. Patience can both act as an adjective and a noun. With this, however, you cannot mix the two uses of these words because they don’t go well with each other. For instance, you cannot say that you have patient.
What Is Patient And How Can You Use It?
Patient is a word that acts as an adjective in sentences. It is used to describe someone who can remain calm, wait for long periods, or easily handle adversity. The word patient can also be used as a noun to describe someone receiving medical help, which explains why people often mix up these terms. The instance of two words that sound the same are called homophones and can easily confuse English writers.
Here are some examples of patient being used in a sentence:
- Don’t worry if they haven’t called your order yet; you must be patient!
- Most parents find that being patient with their children often yields better results
- The professor urged his students to be patient, as he was still grading their midterms
What is Patience, And How Can You Use It?
Patience is a word that acts as a noun in sentences. Since it is a noun, it can show possessiveness in a phrase. It is a different version of the word patient; it also describes having calmness and clarity during hard/trying situations.
Here are some examples of patience being used in a sentence:
- Have patience with finding the correct answer to your problems.
- Investors on Wall Street must have the patience to buy and sell stocks at the correct times.
- Patience is something that many people have but something that many people can lose.
- Stop acting that way; I am beginning to lose my patience with you!
