Synonyms of patronage

patronage

noun

ˈpa-trə-nij 

1

as in sponsorship

the financial support and general guidance for an undertaking

a symphony orchestra that had long relied upon the patronage of the city's moneyed old guard

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sponsorship
• funding
• backing
• subsidy
• aegis
• auspice
• assistance
• financing
• encouragement
• endowment
• bankrolling
• fosterage
• aid
• help

2

as in business

transactions or economic support provided by customers

he refuses to give his patronage to any corporation that is not socially conscious

Synonyms & Similar Words

• business
• custom
• traffic
• trade
• merchandising
• marketplace
• dealings
• affairs
• free trade
• retailing
• horse-trading
• wholesaling

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of patronage

One was a patronage-heavy, pro-government machine; the other an adversarial independent sector. — Dominique Soguel, Christian Science Monitor, 13 Oct. 2026

Still the holder of many patronages, he can be found supporting the arts at his beloved Wigmore Hall, sitting in the royal box at Wimbledon, or celebrating the Scouts in Scotland in the middle of a heatwave. — Stephanie Bridger-Linning, Vanity Fair, 10 Oct. 2026

For all its flowering of original thought and creativity, the Renaissance was ultimately a time of patronage, and the patrons both held the power and used it to enrich their own palaces and places of worship. — Christopher Koopman, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026

In this way, De Luca and Abdy’s Warners filled the void left behind when Megan Ellison’s Annapurna, once the place where filmmakers like Anderson could find patronage and distribution, paused its film operations. — Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026