# Claim construction

The legal process of interpreting what a patent claim means — specifically, the scope of each term in the claim. In litigation, judges perform claim construction in a "Markman hearing" before deciding infringement. Claim construction is often the most consequential step in patent litigation: a narrow construction can defeat infringement, while a broad one can invalidate the claim.

**Full entry:** https://patentbrief.org/glossary/claim-construction

**All patent terms:** https://patentbrief.org/glossary

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_Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. A plain-English glossary of US patent terms._