litterae patentes

From litterae (“letter, epistle”) + patentēs (“open, exposed”).

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈlit.te.rae̯ paˈten.teːs/, [ˈlʲɪt̪ːɛräe̯ päˈt̪ɛn̪t̪eːs̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈlit.te.re paˈten.tes/, [ˈlit̪ːere päˈt̪ɛn̪t̪es]

litterae patentēs f pl (genitive litterārum patentium); first declension

1. letters patent, an open document, usually official.

First-declension noun with a third-declension adjective, plural only.

• litterae clausae

• English: letters patent