benefactor
noun
ben·e·fac·tor
ˈbe-nə-ˌfak-tər 
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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.
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
This evening Ye offers the merest glimpse of the credit-hungry benefactor.
—
Anna Peele, Vanity Fair, 6 Feb. 2026
The Blue Nile signed the deal, moved by the genuine enthusiasm expressed by their benefactors.
—Sam Sodomsky, Pitchfork, 1 Feb. 2026
The Political-Financial Nexus Markets struggle to evaluate central bank appointments when financial ties connect nominees to political benefactors.
—Güney Yıldız, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Jazz haunts with debts owed to its creators, and has a knack for revivals, collectives, new venues in the old forms, and stalwart clubs revivified by benefactors and grant funding.
—Celina Pereira, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for benefactor
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Anna Peele, Vanity Fair, 6 Feb. 2026
The Blue Nile signed the deal, moved by the genuine enthusiasm expressed by their benefactors.
—Sam Sodomsky, Pitchfork, 1 Feb. 2026
The Political-Financial Nexus Markets struggle to evaluate central bank appointments when financial ties connect nominees to political benefactors.
—Güney Yıldız, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Jazz haunts with debts owed to its creators, and has a knack for revivals, collectives, new venues in the old forms, and stalwart clubs revivified by benefactors and grant funding.
—Celina Pereira, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for benefactor
Cite this Entry
“Benefactor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/benefactor. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
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