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
Signed last week, on the same day that the Department of Justice indicted James Comey, it is designed to facilitate the transfer of a social-media platform with a hundred and seventy million American users to a consortium that features several of the President’s political and financial benefactors.
—
John Cassidy, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
That means, for tax purposes, the value of the home resets to its market value on the date your benefactor died.
—Steve Hruby, Cincinnati Enquirer, 29 Sep. 2025
Moreover, as the show delves into the mystery behind the academy’s founding and its benefactors, Evelyn’s manipulation tactics become apparent, wedging even the closest pupils apart and establishing a hierarchy among the Tall Pines Academy staff.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 25 Sep. 2025
California State University San Marcos has received a $10 million donation from one of its most important benefactors to help build a major science and engineering center that is key to the university’s future growth.
—Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for benefactor
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John Cassidy, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
That means, for tax purposes, the value of the home resets to its market value on the date your benefactor died.
—Steve Hruby, Cincinnati Enquirer, 29 Sep. 2025
Moreover, as the show delves into the mystery behind the academy’s founding and its benefactors, Evelyn’s manipulation tactics become apparent, wedging even the closest pupils apart and establishing a hierarchy among the Tall Pines Academy staff.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 25 Sep. 2025
California State University San Marcos has received a $10 million donation from one of its most important benefactors to help build a major science and engineering center that is key to the university’s future growth.
—Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Sep. 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 9 Oct. 2025.
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