Definition of PATRONIZE

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.

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 on the Web

Granik’s restraint as a filmmaker lets her indulge this kind of storytelling without patronizing, fetishizing, or aestheticizing her subjects. — Alissa Wilkinson, Vox, "The 21 best movies of 2018," 14 Dec. 2018 Bemer has been charged with patronizing a trafficked person in connection with ring based in Danbury. — Fox News, "Lawsuit claims man suspected in sex trafficking ring has HIV," 16 May 2018 Charges are being sought through the District Attorney's Office against the man for patronizing a prostitute, and against the 20-year-old woman for prostitution, obstructing an officer and possession of marijuana. — Bill Kurtz, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Police seek prostitution-related charges against two in Thiensville incident," 17 Apr. 2018 Eight of the 11 men charged with patronizing a prostitute were from Delaware. — Margie Fishman, azcentral, "Backpage.com is a Delaware LLC in 'good standing'," 7 Apr. 2018 Inside the Box Cafe offers deli-style sandwiches that fight hunger and homeless in the area. Can’t patronize any of these locations in person? — Jane Mosbacher Morris, Marie Claire, "5 Easy Ways to Use Your Wallet to Create Real Change," 31 Jan. 2019 Few, however, is as chic as silver screen icon Catherine Deneuve, who patronized the designer both on and off screen throughout her life. — Michaela Bechler, Vogue, "Catherine Deneuve Is Feted by Saint Laurent's Anthony Vaccarello With a Dinner in Paris," 22 Jan. 2019 And some groups that used to hold events at the club now steer clear to avoid controversy over patronizing the president’s playground. — Jill Colvin, The Seattle Times, "Trump arrives at his comfort zone at ‘winter White House’," 20 Nov. 2018 Typically patronized by businesspeople in dress clothes, Josephine falls on the fancier side of brunch. — Kristin Luna, Condé Nast Traveler, "11 Best Places for Brunch in Nashville," 27 Feb. 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.