patronize
verb
ˈpa-
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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
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.
John Tamny, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025
Moreover, these restrictions did not address the root causes of the violence, which often occurred outside the establishments and involved individuals not patronizing the venues.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 May 2025
That admittedly basic concept—that Deaf people don’t need hearing people worrying about or patronizing them—is one of the key themes of the film.
—John Hendrickson, The Atlantic, 23 May 2025
Young people are hosting home cafés, making their own cappuccinos and iced matchas in lieu of patronizing coffee shops.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for patronize
Cite this Entry
“Patronize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patronize. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
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patronize
verb
ˈpa-
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