patronize

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

|Updated on: 8 Aug 2018

Examples: patronize in a Sentence

Editor's Note: What Does patronize Mean?

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

—

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

Sixty years ago, downtown Nashville was a mixed and bustling place, where African-Americans wielded their postwar economic muscle by patronizing — and, in 1960, boycotting — shops that refused to serve them coffee.

— justin davidson, Daily Intelligencer, "Downtown Nashville Is Supposed to Be the Model of the Walkable 21st-Century City. I’m Not So Sure.," 8 June 2018
Some black coffee shop owners in Philadelphia are suggesting black customers instead make a habit of patronizing their businesses.

— terry tang and joseph pisani, The Christian Science Monitor, "Starbucks holds anti-bias training for 175,000 employees," 29 May 2018
Maybe nothing will change, but trying is better than patronizing those who are.

— linda gandee/special to cleveland.com, cleveland.com, "Perkins Local Schools superintendent to take the reins in Bay Village in August," 5 Mar. 2018
Don’t forget to patronize the Old Town Farmers Market, currently being held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., on the grounds of Mt. Ida.

— janet kusterer, Howard County Times, "Lunch at La Palapa and other signs of a comeback [Mostly Main Street]," 12 July 2018
Frisbee said 600,000 customers patronized the location during those 18 months.

— ruth bruno, courant.com, "To Curb Violence, Hartford Blocks A Dozen Gas Stations, Convenience Stores From Staying Open All Night," 7 July 2018
Audiences which patronize this kind of picture will eat it up.

— thr staff, The Hollywood Reporter, "'King Kong vs. Godzilla': THR's 1963 Review," 26 June 2018
People who fear government intrusion could continue to patronize private banks.

— michael taylor, San Antonio Express-News, "Re-envisioning basic banking," 6 July 2018
The medical building will provide a number of high-paying jobs, and as many as half of the patients there could be expected to patronize nearby residents and shops, said Tiffany Chen of the city planning staff.

— phil diehl, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Scripps medical building approved for Vista Way in Oceanside," 26 June 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

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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)