benefactor
noun
ben·e·fac·tor
ˈbe-nə-ˌfak-tər 
Did you know?
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
The species was named in honor of Johanna Rebecca Senckenberg (1716–1743), a benefactor whose support for science and medicine helped lay the foundation for the Senckenberg Society for Nature Research.
—
Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2025
The second-most popular reason, at 28%, was not having a relationship with their benefactors’ advisor.
—Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2025
Their tedious but much-cherished daily routine is interrupted by the arrival of their eldest sister and benefactor Masha, an aging B-movie actress who sweeps into town with her much-younger lover, Spike, for a neighborhood costume party.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Oct. 2025
All3Media International’s The Inheritance, which comes from The Traitors producer Studio Lambert, is set in a country estate and sees strangers compete for a fake fortune from a deceased benefactor, played with aplomb by Liz Hurley.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for benefactor
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2025
The second-most popular reason, at 28%, was not having a relationship with their benefactors’ advisor.
—Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2025
Their tedious but much-cherished daily routine is interrupted by the arrival of their eldest sister and benefactor Masha, an aging B-movie actress who sweeps into town with her much-younger lover, Spike, for a neighborhood costume party.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Oct. 2025
All3Media International’s The Inheritance, which comes from The Traitors producer Studio Lambert, is set in a country estate and sees strangers compete for a fake fortune from a deceased benefactor, played with aplomb by Liz Hurley.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 9 Oct. 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 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share