What does it mean when a patent application is designated as ‘rejected’?

This page is an FAQ based on guidance from the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure. It is provided as guidance, with links to the ground truth sources. This is information only: it is not legal advice.

A patent application is designated as ‘rejected’ when it contains an unanswered examiner’s action during its prosecution in the examining group and before allowance. According to MPEP 203.02:

A nonprovisional application which, during its prosecution in the examining group and before allowance, contains an unanswered examiner’s action is designated as a ‘rejected’ application.

This status continues until the applicant responds to the examiner’s action or the application becomes abandoned.