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

Democratic divide As Republican donors open their wallets, some of Democrats’ biggest benefactors are missing from the DNC’s donor rolls. — Luke Fountain, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026

Harvard and its peer institutions won’t suddenly stop caring about their largest benefactors. — Jayson Weingarten, Fortune, 26 Sep. 2026

Now, RadarOnline has confirmed that some of the celebration was paid by a Russian benefactor, oligarch Umar Kremlev, a close ally of Vladimir Putin. — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 24 Sep. 2026

The address listed on its donations leads to a mail service in Colorado Springs, a common tactic for groups seeking to hide their benefactors. — Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 19 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