Patron meaning in english

What Does patronize Mean? The various meanings of patronize can easily be distinguished if you consider which sense of patron they allude to. Patronize in the sense “to provide aid or support for” refers to the sort of patron who gives money or assistance. Such a person might, for example, patronize the arts. A second sense of patronize involves the kind of patron who is “a frequent or regular customer” of a business – someone, for example, who patronizes a store. A third use of patronize carries a distinctively negative meaning: “to adopt an air of condescension toward.” This sense presumably developed from the idea of a wealthy and powerful patron who adopts a superior attitude towards his (or her) dependent. Nowadays, someone who patronizes (or whose behavior is patronizing) in this sense more often expresses a sense of moral or intellectual than of social superiority. What is the difference between condescending and patronizing? Very few words in English have exactly the same meaning; even words which appear to be entirely synonymous often will be found to have small differences in certain contexts. The words condescending and patronizing present a fine example of this. At first glance these words appear to be defined somewhat circularly: condescending often has the word "patronizing" in its definition, and patronize is defined, in part, as “to adopt an air of condescension toward.” But both of these words have specialized senses that lend a shade of meaning to their s...

From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English Related topics: , patron pa‧tron / ˈpeɪtrən / ●○○ noun [countable ] 1 SUPPORT A PERSON, GROUP, OR PLAN someone who a wealthy patron patron of a patron of the arts 2 a → patroness 3 formal D B someone who uses a particular SYN customer facilities for disabled patrons ► see thesaurus at customer Examples from the Corpus patron • Santa Anita patrons • Each noble's home has its own patrons. • His patron and • She's patron of the • Many patrons. patron of • The patron of From Longman Business Dictionary patron pa‧tron / ˈpeɪtrən / noun [countable ] 1 formal someone who regularly uses a particular shop, restaurant, hotel etc SYNCUSTOMER Regular patrons comprise 65 percent of the restaurant’s customers. 2 someone who supports the activities of a public organization, CHARITY etc, especially by giving money SYNBENEFACTOR It has been left to a small group of art historians, patrons and restorers to do something about the lost art treasures. Origin patron (1300-1400 ) Medieval Latin patronus, from Latin pater “father ”

Recent Examples on the Web Despite being stripped of his royal patronages and military affiliations in 2022, the Duke of York has continued to join members of the royal family at certain family and holiday events. — Lynsey Eidell, Peoplemag, 1 May 2023 The colorful intersection between art, ideology, patronage and politics should appeal to a wide range of nonfiction outlets and programmers. — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 30 Apr. 2023 After receiving buy-in from Libyan actors, Western diplomats hope the potential deal will resolve a dispute over the use of the revenues to fund militias and patronage networks. — Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 May 2022 Trusts and patronages reverted to Queen Elizabeth, including the Queen's Commonwealth Trust, the Rugby Football Union, the Rugby Football League, the Royal National Theatre, and the Association of Commonwealth Universities. — Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 13 Apr. 2023 The queen also took away his titles and patronages. — Karla Adam, Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2023 James is a talentless hack, entirely dependent on the patience and patronage of his well-to-do wife, Em (Cleopatra Coleman). — John Semley, The New Republic, 2 Feb. 2023 And for nearly five decades, Mr. Young, a Republican, put that phrase into practice by manipulating the levers of power and patronage on Capitol Hill to steer hundreds of millions of federal dollars to Alaska. — New York Times, 29 Mar. 2022 Haley’s attempt to solidify the patronage of billionaires ...

/ˈpeɪtrən/ Other forms: patrons A patron supports someone or something. A patron of a business supports the business by being a loyal customer. A patron of the arts helps support starving artists — financially, not with food rations. The word patron comes from the Latin pater or patr- meaning "father." Think of how a father is supposed to financially support his kids. A patron of the arts is someone who shows his appreciation or support for the arts by donating money to arts organizations. And a patron of the Red Lobster is a frequent customer who can be seen in the same corner booth every Sunday night, noshing on cheddar biscuits.