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
Based on industries listed in the regulations targeted by Trump, owners of coal plants are among the potential benefactors.
—
Michael Hawthorne, Chicago Tribune, 13 Apr. 2025
The institute’s primary benefactor was Peter Thiel, a billionaire venture capitalist and the co-founder of PayPal who donated more than $1.25 million to the organization and related projects.
—Ian Urbina, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2025
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered two aircraft carrier strike groups to the region next month in a move aimed at reinforcing strikes against the Houthis, whose primary benefactor is Iran.
—Kevin Sabet, Newsweek, 24 Mar. 2025
And while generative AI has been a major benefactor, machine learning and vision processing are also seeing great benefits from techniques such as model distillation and low-cost fine-tuning.
—Jason Andersen, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025
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Michael Hawthorne, Chicago Tribune, 13 Apr. 2025
The institute’s primary benefactor was Peter Thiel, a billionaire venture capitalist and the co-founder of PayPal who donated more than $1.25 million to the organization and related projects.
—Ian Urbina, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2025
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered two aircraft carrier strike groups to the region next month in a move aimed at reinforcing strikes against the Houthis, whose primary benefactor is Iran.
—Kevin Sabet, Newsweek, 24 Mar. 2025
And while generative AI has been a major benefactor, machine learning and vision processing are also seeing great benefits from techniques such as model distillation and low-cost fine-tuning.
—Jason Andersen, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for benefactor
Cite this Entry
“Benefactor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/benefactor. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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