patronize

verb

pa·​tron·​ize ˈpā-trə-ˌnīz How to pronounce patronize (audio) ˈpa- How to pronounce patronize (audio)
patronized; patronizing

transitive verb

1
: to act as patron of : provide aid or support for
The government patronized several local artists.
2
: to adopt an air of condescension toward : treat haughtily or coolly
3
: to be a frequent or regular customer or client of
a restaurant much patronized by celebrities
patronization noun

Did you know?

What Does patronize Mean?

The various meanings of patronize can easily be distinguished if you consider which sense of patron they allude to. Patronize in the sense “to provide aid or support for” refers to the sort of patron who gives money or assistance. Such a person might, for example, patronize the arts. A second sense of patronize involves the kind of patron who is “a frequent or regular customer” of a business – someone, for example, who patronizes a store. A third use of patronize carries a distinctively negative meaning: “to adopt an air of condescension toward.” This sense presumably developed from the idea of a wealthy and powerful patron who adopts a superior attitude towards his (or her) dependent. Nowadays, someone who patronizes (or whose behavior is patronizing) in this sense more often expresses a sense of moral or intellectual than of social superiority.

Did you know?

What is the difference between condescending and patronizing?

Very few words in English have exactly the same meaning; even words which appear to be entirely synonymous often will be found to have small differences in certain contexts. The words condescending and patronizing present a fine example of this. At first glance these words appear to be defined somewhat circularly: condescending often has the word "patronizing" in its definition, and patronize is defined, in part, as “to adopt an air of condescension toward.”

But both of these words have specialized senses that lend a shade of meaning to their synonymous senses. Patronizing can mean "giving support to" or "being a customer of," suggesting that the "condescending" sense implies superiority gained through a donor-dependent relationship.

The verb condescend used to be free of any hint of the offensive superiority it usually suggests today. It could mean literally "to go or come down" or, figuratively, "to willingly lower oneself to another’s level," senses that are still occasionally encountered in writings on the Bible. The idea of self-consciously lowering oneself is implied in the "patronizing" sense of condescending.

Examples of patronize in a Sentence

For the court to come around, at this late date, to acknowledging our existence as "free persons" is shockingly patronizing; it's condescension that has been cast as liberation. John Cloud, Time, 7 July 2003
She spoke dryly, but she had to admit that the girl did not mean to patronize, and was pleasant, the way she talked right to Stephen instead of across him the way most people did. Ursula K. Le Guin, New Yorker, 28 Sept. 1987
My feelings seem to have been confused and blurred, tinged with sentimentality, colored by a great deal of folklore, and wobbling always between a patronizing affection, fostered by my elders, and downright hostility. William Styron, This Quiet Dust and Other Writings, (1953) 1982
The family patronizes the arts. He hated being patronized and pitied by those who didn't believe his story. “I'm sure you did your best even though you failed.” “Please don't patronize.” I patronize the library regularly.
Recent Examples on the Web Like most of the five women who have died at South Florida office surgery clinics in the past year, Baumeister was visiting from out of state and patronizing a center that advertises low-cost procedures with financing plans, Seduction by Jardon’s Medical Center in Doral. Daniel Chang, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2024 His opponent, Senator Caleb Boggs, had won seven straight elections, but Biden saw a path for himself—playing up his youth, showing off his handsome family, flattering Boggs with patronizing grace. Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024 Both Wragg and Mitchell relay stories of being patronized or overlooked in favor of less experienced, less knowledgeable male colleagues. Olivia Potts, Longreads, 15 Feb. 2024 And the Hampden community, which had patronized the coffee shop for 25 years, contributed $26,000 to a GoFundMe drive. Jules Struck, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 Feb. 2024 Thirty-one years later, she’s wielded a lifetime of experience into one of the finest venues for patronizing the pottery of 19 Pueblos in New Mexico, as well as the communities of the Navajo, Hopi, Wyandot, and Apache. Lauren Mowery, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 About 33% will go to department stores, while 31% will shop at discount stores and 17% will patronize florists. The Indianapolis Star, 29 Jan. 2024 Regardless of gender, many people are annoyed by this, as it is commonly used to patronize the old — and not only in the South. Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 16 Jan. 2024 But aspirational, conventional beauty isn’t the only thing a beauty consumer wants; that said, an extremely earnest, patronizing takedown of beauty standards isn’t always what a beauty consumer wants, either. Marci Robin, Allure, 8 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'patronize.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

see patron

First Known Use

1589, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of patronize was in 1589

Dictionary Entries Near patronize

Cite this Entry

“Patronize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patronize. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

patronize

verb
pa·​tron·​ize ˈpā-trə-ˌnīz How to pronounce patronize (audio) ˈpa- How to pronounce patronize (audio)
patronized; patronizing
1
: to act as a patron to or of : give aid or support to
patronize the arts
2
: to act as if one were better than
3
: to be a patron of
patronize a store
patronize the library
patronizingly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on patronize

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