benefactor

noun

ben·​e·​fac·​tor ˈbe-nə-ˌfak-tər 

: someone or something that provides help or an advantage : one that confers a benefit

a benefactor of humankind

especially : a person who makes a gift or bequest

His endowments … placed him high among the benefactors of the convent.

—Jane Austen

a wealthy benefactor

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.

Synonyms of benefactor

• donor
• donator

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

Kremlev was either seeking something in return for his own business or, more likely in this case, some payoff for his benefactor Putin. — Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026

Investing in infrastructure to boost revenue streams is wise, particularly at a club with no shareholders to act as benefactors. — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026

Along will Bill Koch, who conceived of the female experiment as the benefactor of the Mighty Mary, another billionaire sailor with ties to Mighty Mary is Larry Ellison. — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2026

When Cornelius Vanderbilt took steps to break up a railroad monopoly along the Hudson River in 1867, he was praised as a public benefactor. — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for benefactor

• chiropractor
• malefactor
• multifactor
• subcontractor
• acter
• actor
• factor
• tractor
• attractor
• cofactor
• compactor
• contactor

Kids Definition

benefactor

noun

bene·​fac·​tor

ˈben-ə-ˌfak-tər

: one who helps another especially by giving money