# Independent claim

A claim that stands on its own and does not reference any other claim. An independent claim defines the broadest scope of protection for a particular aspect of an invention. Most patents have one to three independent claims, each capturing the invention from a different angle, with multiple dependent claims narrowing each one.

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

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

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