Writers often confuse “patients or patience” because the two words sound very similar. However, they have different meanings and different uses in a sentence. Patients refers to people receiving medical care while patience means the ability to stay calm while waiting or facing difficulty.
This article explains which word to use and how patient fits into the same word family. You will also see simple examples and common phrases such as “thank you for your patience.”
Quick Answer
Patients means two or more people receiving medical care. Patience means the ability to wait or deal with difficulty without becoming annoyed. Cambridge Dictionary defines patience as the ability to wait or continue through difficulties without complaining or becoming annoyed.
Patients or Patience: Usage at a Glance
| Context | Correct word | Example | How to tell |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical care | Patients | The doctor saw ten patients today. (example) | Refers to people |
| Waiting calmly | Patience | Please have patience with me. (example) | Refers to a quality |
| Describing someone | Patient | She is very patient. (example) | Describes behavior |
| One person receiving care | Patient | The patient is waiting. (example) | Refers to one person |
| Showing appreciation | Patience | Thank you for your patience. (example) | Means calm waiting |
Patients or Patience: Which Word to Use
Use patients when you mean more than one person receiving medical treatment or care.
For example:
- The doctor has several patients waiting.
- Nurses regularly check their patients.
- The clinic treated many patients today.
Use patience when you mean the ability to stay calm while waiting or dealing with a difficult situation.
For example:
- Learning a new skill takes patience.
- Please have patience while we fix the issue.
- She lost her patience after waiting for an hour.
The easiest way to remember the difference is that patients are people while patience is a quality.
What Does Patients Mean?
Patients is the plural form of patient when patient is used as a noun.
Cambridge Dictionary defines a patient as someone who is being treated by a doctor, nurse or another medical professional.
One person is a patient.
More than one person are patients.
For example:
- The patient entered the doctor’s office.
- Three patients are waiting outside.
- The hospital admitted several new patients.
If you can replace the word with “people receiving medical care,” patients is probably correct.
What Does Patience Mean?
Patience is a noun. It refers to the ability to wait, continue through difficulty or deal with problems without becoming annoyed.
Cambridge Dictionary describes patience as the ability to wait or continue doing something despite difficulties without complaining or becoming upset.
For example:
- You need patience when teaching children.
- Success often requires patience.
- Please show some patience.
- His patience was tested by the long delay.
Patience does not refer to a person. It describes a quality someone can have, show, lose or develop.
Patient Versus Patience
Patient and patience are related, but they play different roles in a sentence.
Patient can be an adjective that describes someone who stays calm.
For example:
- She is patient with children.
- Please be patient.
- He remained patient during the delay.
Patience is the noun for that quality.
For example:
- She has patience with children.
- Please have patience.
- His patience helped him stay calm.
A simple rule can help:
Be patient
Have patience
Do not write “be patience” or “have patient” when you are talking about staying calm.
Thank You for Your Patients or Patience?
The correct phrase is:
Thank you for your patience.
Here, patience means calmly accepting a delay or inconvenience.
Do not write:
Thank you for your patients.
That sentence would refer to people receiving medical treatment.
You can also write:
- We appreciate your patience.
- Thank you for being patient.
- Thank you for your patience while we process your request.
Be Patient or Have Patience?
Both expressions are correct.
Use be patient when patient describes someone’s behavior.
Please be patient while we check your order.
Use have patience when patience refers to the quality itself.
Please have patience while we check your order.
The meaning is very similar. The difference is mainly grammatical.
Example Sentences
These sentences are examples written for this article.
Patients:
- The doctor spoke with all of his patients.
- Several patients arrived early.
- The hospital cares for hundreds of patients each week.
Patience:
- Building a business requires patience.
- I appreciate your patience.
- She quickly lost her patience.
Patient:
- Please be patient with the new employee.
- He is patient when teaching beginners.
- The patient waited for the nurse.
Looking at what the word refers to makes the correct choice much easier.
Why Are Patients and Patience Confusing?
Patients and patience are easy to mix up because their pronunciations are very similar.
Their spellings are also close, but their meanings are different.
A useful memory trick is to look at the final s in patients. It can remind you that the word usually refers to several people.
Patients = several people receiving care
Patience = calm waiting
Patient = one medical patient or someone who stays calm
FAQs
Is it patients or patience when waiting?
Use patience when talking about waiting calmly. For example, “Please have patience while we process your request.”
Is it thank you for your patients or patience?
The correct phrase is “thank you for your patience.” Patience refers to someone’s willingness to wait calmly.
What is the plural of patient?
The plural of patient, when referring to someone receiving medical care, is patients.
Should I say be patient or have patience?
Both are correct. Be patient uses an adjective while have patience uses a noun.
Conclusion
Use patients for two or more people receiving medical care and patience for the ability to wait or handle difficulties calmly. Use patient for one medical patient or to describe someone who remains calm.
When in doubt, remember the simple rule: patients are people while patience is a quality.