patronage

noun

pa·​tron·​age ˈpa-trə-nij  ˈpā- 

1

: advowson

2

: the support or influence of a patron

the patronage of science by universities

3

: kindness done with an air of superiority

The prince deigned to bestow his patronage on the composer.

4

: business or activity provided by patrons

the new branch library is expected to have a heavy patronage

5

a

: the power to make appointments to government jobs especially for political advantage

oust his enemies from office and use the patronage to support his policies

—H. K. Beale

b

: the distribution of jobs on the basis of patronage

The governor filled the vacated positions through patronage.

c

: jobs distributed by patronage

the government's vast network of patronage

Synonyms

• aegis
• egis
• auspice
• backing
• sponsorship

Examples of patronage in a Sentence

The college relied on the patronage of its wealthy graduates to expand its funds.

They thanked her for her patronage of the new hospital.

The city should do more to encourage patronage of local businesses.

a system of political patronage

Recent Examples on the Web

On the one hand, Microsoft’s patronage of OpenAI is also under antitrust scrutiny in both the U.S. and Europe, so an OpenAI-Apple deal could be quite useful in demonstrating that Sam Altman’s company is not effectively a Microsoft unit. —David Meyer, Fortune, 18 Mar. 2024

When state agencies sent thousands of workers home, the retail businesses and restaurants that depended on their patronage were clobbered. —Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 1 Feb. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

patronage

noun

pa·​tron·​age ˈpa-trə-nij  ˈpā- 

1

: the support or influence of a patron

2

: business or activity provided by patrons

3

: the power to give out government jobs, contracts, or favors