brevetto

patent

noun breh-VET-toh Less Common

Origin: From Latin brevis (short), via medieval breve, a brief official document.

Also means

licence

Usage Note

Brevetto covers both intellectual-property patents (brevetto industriale) and official licences or certificates (brevetto di pilota, pilot's licence; brevetto di nuoto, swimming certificate). In everyday speech it most often means a driving or sporting qualification, not an invention patent.

Examples

"Ha ottenuto il brevetto di pilota."

Natural Translation

He obtained his pilot's licence.

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