benefactor

noun

ben·​e·​fac·​tor ˈbe-nə-ˌfak-tər 

: someone or something that provides help or an advantage : one that confers a benefit

a benefactor of humankind

especially : a person who makes a gift or bequest

His endowments … placed him high among the benefactors of the convent.

—Jane Austen

a wealthy benefactor

Did you know?

A benefactor may be involved in almost any field. One may endow a scholarship fund; another may give money to expand a library; still another may leave a generous sum to a hospital in her will. The famous benefactions of John D. Rockefeller included the gifts that established the University of Chicago, the Rockefeller Foundation, and Rockefeller University. Many benefactors have reported that giving away their money turned out to be the most rewarding thing they ever did.

Synonyms

• angel
• donator
• donor
• fairy godmother
• Maecenas
• patron
• sugar daddy

Examples of benefactor in a Sentence

With the help of a rich benefactor he set up a charity.

an anonymous benefactor gave the school a dozen new computers

Recent Examples on the Web

Adams was accused of taking thousands of dollars worth of benefits starting in around 2014, including first-class flights and hotel stays all over the world, from foreign benefactors with ties to the Turkish government who sought to one day cash in on their relationship. —Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 11 Feb. 2025

Being the sole benefactor of her late parents’ assets meant having some financial resources to begin this work, which involved hiring archivists and working 40 hours a week over 3 years to document inventory and create a digital archive. —Maddie Klett, ARTnews.com, 14 Jan. 2025

The Brutalist is at its most subtle during Tóth’s interactions with his benefactor, and then with the small-town Pennsylvania community around him. —David Sims, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2025

Neymar would also most likely not be a lone benefactor, probably more the figurehead of a group of investors. —Nick Miller, The Athletic, 6 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

benefactor

noun

bene·​fac·​tor

ˈben-ə-ˌfak-tər

: one who helps another especially by giving money