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 of patronage

• 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

This was the decade of Italy’s ascension onto the global style stage, following the patronage of Giovanni Battista Giorgini and the Made In Italy movement the aristocrat inspired. —Rachel Elspeth Gross, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026

The partnership marks the first time M+’s moving-image initiatives will be made available to a worldwide streaming audience, a step that both deepens Chanel’s cultural-patronage footprint in Asia and expands Mubi’s curatorial ambitions across the region, the partners say. —Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 14 Jan. 2026

Government positions, especially during the era of political patronage, was a common means of employment. —Literary Hub, 14 Jan. 2026

The duties of civil servants, who remained in their chairs as presidents came and went, were supposed to transcend patronage and partisanship. —Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 11 Jan. 2026

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