In this paper, a novel design of compact microstrip antenna (MA) using an embedded λ /4 resonator is presented. By utilizing the strong coupling between the λ /4 resonator and the radiation patch of MA, the resonant frequency of MA can be decreased. Besides, the λ /4 resonator is embedded in the patch, which does not enlarge the whole size of MA. Therefore, a compact antenna can be realized. In this paper, after the principle is stated, a sample antenna has been manufactured and measured to prove the predicted characteristics of our proposed antenna. The measurement agrees well with the simulation. Hence, the proposed method in this paper is quite suitable for the design of a compact antenna.