A patient is the one who receives medical attention, concern, or treatment. The person is most often ill and in need of treatment by a physician or medical specialized. Health care customer or clients are additional names for patient, normally used by governmental agency, insurance companies or patient groups.

The word patient is resulting from the Latin word patients, the present participle of the deponent verb pati, sense one who suffers. The lively patient is a challenge in terms, and it is the declaration underlying the obedience that is the mainly risky part. Unfortunately not any of the various terms look as if to suggest a better definition.

In itself the meaning of patient doesn't involve suffering but the function it describes is often associated with the definitions of the adjective form: enduring trying condition with even temper. Some have argue lately that the expression should be dropped, since it underlines the substandard status of recipients of the health care.