patronage

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. The support or encouragement of a patron, as for an institution or cause.
2. n. Support or encouragement proffered in a condescending manner: Our little establishment has finally been deemed worthy of the bank's patronage.
3. n. The trade given to a commercial establishment by its customers: Shopkeepers thanked Christmas shoppers for their patronage.
4. n. Customers or patrons considered as a group; clientele: The grand old hotel has a loyal but demanding patronage.
5. n. The power to distribute or appoint people to governmental or political positions.
6. n. The act of distributing or appointing people to such positions.
7. n. The positions so distributed or filled.
8. n. The right to grant an ecclesiastical benefice to a member of the clergy.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. The position of or the aid afforded by a patron; the countenance or support of a patron or of patrons: often used in the sense of countenance or favor shown in a patronizing or superciliously condescending way.
2. n. Guardianship, as of a saint.
3. n. The right of presentation to a church or ecclesiastical benefice. Ecclesiastical patronage is restricted to endowed and established churches. It was abolished in the Church of Scotland in 1874, but still prevails almost universally iu the Church of England.
4. n. The control of appointments to positions in the public service; also, the offices so controlled.
5. To patronize or support; maintain; make good.
6. n. In ancient Rome, the relation borne by a patron to his client. See patron, n., 1 .

Wiktionary

1. n. The act of providing approval and support; backing; championship.
2. n. Customers collectively; clientele; business.
3. n. A communication that indicates lack of respect by patronizing the recipient; condescension; disdain.
4. n. politics Granting favours or giving contracts or making appointments to office in return for political support.
5. v. transitive To support by being a patron of.
6. v. transitive To be a regular customer or client of; to patronize; to patronise; to support; to keep going.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. Special countenance or support; favor, encouragement, or aid, afforded to a person or a work
2. n. Commercial Cant Business custom.
3. n. Guardianship, as of a saint; tutelary care.
4. n. The right of nomination to political office; also, the offices, contracts, honors, etc., which a public officer may bestow by favor.
5. n. (Eng. Law) The right of presentation to church or ecclesiastical benefice; advowson.
6. v. obsolete To act as a patron of; to maintain; to defend.

WordNet 3.0

1. v. be a regular customer or client of
2. n. (politics) granting favors or giving contracts or making appointments to office in return for political support
3. n. the business given to a commercial establishment by its customers
4. n. the act of providing approval and support
5. n. a communication that indicates lack of respect by patronizing the recipient
6. n. customers collectively
7. v. support by being a patron of