patronage

noun

pa·​tron·​age ˈpa-trə-nij  ˈpā- 

1

: advowson

2

: the support or influence of a patron

the patronage of science by universities

3

: kindness done with an air of superiority

The prince deigned to bestow his patronage on the composer.

4

: business or activity provided by patrons

the new branch library is expected to have a heavy patronage

5

a

: the power to make appointments to government jobs especially for political advantage

oust his enemies from office and use the patronage to support his policies

—H. K. Beale

b

: the distribution of jobs on the basis of patronage

The governor filled the vacated positions through patronage.

c

: jobs distributed by patronage

the government's vast network of patronage

Synonyms

• aegis
• egis
• auspice
• backing
• sponsorship

Examples of patronage in a Sentence

The college relied on the patronage of its wealthy graduates to expand its funds.

They thanked her for her patronage of the new hospital.

The city should do more to encourage patronage of local businesses.

a system of political patronage

Recent Examples on the Web

To get access to markets, businesses first had to obtain permission from politicians and bureaucrats, which in practice fueled a huge industry in patronage and corruption. —Dev Patnaik, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025

Moviemaking has long reminded me of the Renaissance patronage system. —Michael Ashley, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025

The program is co-funded by Creative Europe MEDIA and organized under the patronage of Eurimages, with Wake Up Films (Serbia) serving as the organizing entity. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 17 Apr. 2025

Its prime beneficiaries, of course, have been members of his entourage and their patronage networks. —Alexander Gabuev, Foreign Affairs, 17 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

patronage

noun

pa·​tron·​age ˈpa-trə-nij  ˈpā- 

1

: the support or influence of a patron

2

: business or activity provided by patrons

3

: the power to give out government jobs, contracts, or favors