What is the importance of claim terminology in a patent application?

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.

The importance of claim terminology in a patent application lies in ensuring clarity and consistency between the claims and the specification. MPEP 608.01(o) states:

The meaning of every term used in any of the claims should be apparent from the descriptive portion of the specification with clear disclosure as to its import.

This means that the specification should provide a clear explanation for all terms used in the claims, ensuring that the patent examiner and potential infringers can understand the scope of the claimed invention.