prior art
noun
patent law
: knowledge that is publicly available (as from the description in an already existing patent, from publications, or from public use or sale) before the date of filing a claim for a patent for an invention
a finding by the judge that there was no advancement of design in the new invention over the prior art
Examples of prior art in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
And in the university rankings, Harvard has seized the top spot from traditional tech powerhouses like MIT and Stanford, driven by patents that are more often cited as prior art in other recent patents.
—
IEEE Spectrum, 1 June 2025
Legal-heavy governmental agencies such as intellectual property, patent, and trademark offices are using AI to help with IP search and office filings to identify prior art, determine the key claims in a filing, and assist with multilingual searches across worldwide IP and content databases.
—Ron Schmelzer, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024
Lawyers representing life sciences and pharma companies need quick and easy access to competitors' patents, as well as the appropriate prior art to navigate active lawsuits.
—Claire Rychlewski, Axios, 15 Aug. 2024
Apple ended up that case, but there could be some prior art there, so to speak, that helps support the DOJ's case.
—Michael Calore Lauren Goode, WIRED, 28 Mar. 2024
Conduct a prior art search to check if similar inventions already exist and consult with a patent attorney to assess the patentability of your idea.
—Jon Stojan, Journal Sentinel, 18 Aug. 2023
Conduct a Prior Art Search: Before diving into the patenting process, conduct a thorough prior art search.
—Jon Stojan, The Indianapolis Star, 11 Aug. 2023
It can also likely be used to accelerate research and comparisons to prior art, stimulate differentiation and new combinations of known things.
—Jinan Glasgow George, Forbes, 5 May 2023
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IEEE Spectrum, 1 June 2025
Legal-heavy governmental agencies such as intellectual property, patent, and trademark offices are using AI to help with IP search and office filings to identify prior art, determine the key claims in a filing, and assist with multilingual searches across worldwide IP and content databases.
—Ron Schmelzer, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024
Lawyers representing life sciences and pharma companies need quick and easy access to competitors' patents, as well as the appropriate prior art to navigate active lawsuits.
—Claire Rychlewski, Axios, 15 Aug. 2024
Apple ended up that case, but there could be some prior art there, so to speak, that helps support the DOJ's case.
—Michael Calore Lauren Goode, WIRED, 28 Mar. 2024
Conduct a prior art search to check if similar inventions already exist and consult with a patent attorney to assess the patentability of your idea.
—Jon Stojan, Journal Sentinel, 18 Aug. 2023
Conduct a Prior Art Search: Before diving into the patenting process, conduct a thorough prior art search.
—Jon Stojan, The Indianapolis Star, 11 Aug. 2023
It can also likely be used to accelerate research and comparisons to prior art, stimulate differentiation and new combinations of known things.
—Jinan Glasgow George, Forbes, 5 May 2023
Cite this Entry
“Prior art.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prior%20art. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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