Log in or Sign up
  1. patronize love

Definitions

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

  1. v. To act as a patron to; support or sponsor.
  2. v. To go to as a customer, especially on a regular basis.
  3. v. To treat in a condescending manner.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

  1. To act as patron toward; give support or countenance to; favor; assist: as, to patronize an undertaking; to patronize an opinion.
  2. To assume the air of a patron toward; notice in a superciliously condescending way.
  3. To ascribe to a person as patron or the responsible party.
  4. Also spelled patronise.

Wiktionary

  1. v. transitive To make a patron.
  2. v. transitive To assume a tone of unjustified superiority; to talk down to; to treat condescendingly.
  3. v. transitive To make oneself a customer of a business, especially a regular customer.

GNU Webster's 1913

  1. v. To act as patron toward; to support; to countenance; to favor; to aid.
  2. v. Commercial Cant To trade with customarily; to frequent as a customer.
  3. v. To assume the air of a patron, or of a superior and protector, toward; -- used in an unfavorable sense.

WordNet 3.0

  1. v. be a regular customer or client of
  2. v. do one's shopping at; do business with; be a customer or client of
  3. v. treat condescendingly
  4. v. assume sponsorship of

Etymologies

  1. Old English patron (reborrowed from Latin patronus, derived from Latin pater ("father")) +‎ -ize (“(verb ending)”). (Wiktionary)

Examples

  • “The word patronize can be used about a Starbucks without too much of a pejorative flavor to it, although I patronize Peets almost exclusively!”

    Stephen's Lighthouse: What to call library user communities....

  • “She had not yet learned to use the word patronize in the social sense, and she was at a loss to describe the attitude of Mrs. Duncan and her daughter, though her instinct had registered it.”

    Coniston — Volume 03

  • “Mrs. Ludgate was decided by the word patronize: she took the hat, and desired that it should be set down in her bill: but Mrs. la Mode was extremely concerned that she had made a rule, nay a vow, not to take any thing but ready money for the spring hats; and she could not break her vow, even for her favourite Mrs. Ludgate.”

    Tales and Novels — Volume 02

  • “It would seem that there are only a few artists we can actually 'patronize' enthusiastically--Jim Caviezel, Eduardo Verastegui...”

    Archive 2008-12-01

  • “This will enable doctors and other medical advisers to refer patients to, and will cause patients to "patronize," the better providers, who, if Teisberg and Porter are right, also will often be the less expensive ones because their quality will in part reflect experience and, in various ways, consequent efficiency.”

    The Urgent Need For Information On The Results (I.e., The Outcomes) Of Medical Care

  • “They "patronize," he suggests, the real rhythms of American Jews, "their time-honored self-images," not to mention the peculiarly Jewish anxieties and content which exercise Halkin, many Israelis, and, presumably, himself.”

    An Exchange on Zionism

  • “patronize" is quite the proper word to use in this connection.”

    New Faces

  • “I'm not going to hurt you or to "patronize":) I hoped that my answer to you and will be useful for others members.”

    News

  • “But we scarcely believe a respectable audience would not patronize or encourage Negro buffo songs here.”

    Simon & Schuster: A Renegade History of the United States

Log in or sign up to add your own related words.

synonyms (7)

Words with the same meaning

  1. support
  1. countenance
  1. favor
  1. aid
  1. protect
  1. notice
  1. condescend

hypernyms (4)

Words that are more generic or abstract

  1. nurture
  1. foster
  1. support
  1. back up

reverse dictionary (11)

Words that contain this word in their definition

  1. patronize
  2. enpatron
  1. patrocinate
  2. patron
  1. patronage
  2. barhop
  1. Brighton
  2. snob
  1. anchor store
  2. favor
  1. support

tags (1)

Free-form, user-generated categorization

  1. auto-antonym

Log in or sign up to add your own tag.

Wordmap

(beta)

Word visualization

Lists

These user-created lists contain the word ‘patronize’.

More lists containing ‘patronize’

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

  • travismcdermott 1589 G. HARVEY Pierces Supererog. 99 Lordes on both sides, that Patronise good causes. Jun 5, 2008

  • oroboros Contronymic in the sense: condescend vs. support. Jan 27, 2007

Tweets

Looking for tweets for patronize.

‘patronize’ has been looked up 3804 times, loved by 2 people, added to 34 lists, commented on 2 times, and has a Scrabble score of 20.