patronize

verb pa·tron·ize \ ˈpā-trə-ˌnīz , ˈpa- \

Updated on: 19 Apr 2018

Definition of patronize

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

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patronization

play \ˌpā-trə-nə-ˈzā-shən, ˌpa-\ noun

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patronizingly

play \ˈpā-trə-ˌnī-ziŋ-lē, ˈpa-\ adverb

See patronize defined for English-language learners

See patronize defined for kids

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, (l953) 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 of patronize from the Web

Peggy Ahlberg said a facility that brings big swim meets would attract a lot of people to Glastonbury, who would then patronize local businesses.

— steve smith, Courant Community, "Residents Push Council For Aquatic Center Study," 3 Apr. 2018
Can’t wait to patronize this cake shop in your future, second-generation Olympian Emily Dreissigacker.

— maggie lange, Bon Appetit, "All of the Quirky Food Facts We Learned About Team USA's Winter Olympians," 6 Feb. 2018
Try to patronize more packaging-conscious brands like Lush, which sells 35 percent of its products with no packaging at all.

— kristen lepore, Marie Claire, "8 Things Every Single Woman Should Be Doing Right Now to Counteract Climate Change," 9 May 2017
Along with adding to the city's property tax base, the apartments will draw more people to patronize downtown stores and restaurants and help encourage other neighborhood investments, Strautmanis said.

— tom daykin, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Historic Delavan industrial building to be converted into affordable apartments," 16 Mar. 2018
Even giants like Pandora don’t have in-house catering, so workers leave the office at lunchtime and patronize local businesses, Dixon said.

— carolyn said, San Francisco Chronicle, "Oakland wants in on Silicon Valley’s success — with crucial differences," 12 Mar. 2018
Police charged Maturo with patronizing a prostitute.

— don stacom, Courant Community, "Two Arrested In Berlin Turnpike Prostitution Scam, Kidnapping," 8 Mar. 2018
Te Velde was also arrested in August in Washington on charges of patronizing a prostitute and possession of methamphetamine.

— molly harbarger, OregonLive.com, "Oregon mega-dairy sued by state for release of wastewater, by contractors for unpaid bills," 8 Mar. 2018
The lanes are needed not just for day-to-day driving, but for faster police and fire responses in emergencies, and so customers from across town can patronize local merchants.

— phil diehl, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Oceanside extends coastal corridor study," 8 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'patronize.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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.

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.

Origin and Etymology of patronize

see patron

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1589

See Words from the same year

patronize Synonyms

Phrases

go in for, go to bat for, hold a brief for, stand up for, stick up for;

PATRONIZE Defined for English Language Learners

patronize

verb

Definition of patronize for English Language Learners

: to give money or support to (someone or something)
: to talk to (someone) in a way that shows that you believe you are more intelligent or better than other people
: to be a frequent or regular customer or user of (a place)