Definitions

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb Present participle of patronise.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective (used of behavior or attitude) characteristic of those who treat others with condescension

Etymologies

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Examples

  • Saqib Shaikh: I don't run my own business, so may be missing something, but why is this term patronising?

    Jackson Fish Market 2009

  • And this patronising is not unexpected (or unecnountered) when looking at how an expert gives advice to a novice.

    A is for Authenticity « An A-Z of ELT 2010

  • Bill Bentley, East Sussex County Councillor, clearly a black belt in patronising, also warns that ‘living in a cold house can have an effect on your health’ There goes my dream of igloo life in 2008.

    The People Of Lewes Newmania 2008

  • Bill Bentley, East Sussex County Councillor, clearly a black belt in patronising, also warns that ‘living in a cold house can have an effect on your health’ There goes my dream of igloo life in 2008.

    Archive 2008-01-13 Newmania 2008

  • Out Of Here has a contestant who gets called a patronising nickname instead of their real name.

    Big Brother Celebrity Hijack Betting Odds: Double Eviction, Emilia Out? 2005

  • Bradshaw had not been possessed with the idea of patronising Ruth.

    Ruth Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell 1837

  • Trying alternative solutions in a time of economic strife is not "patronising", it is pragmatic.

    Letters: Can philanthropy again come to the help of public libraries? 2011

  • The Lib Dems, meanwhile, vociferously condemned the tax break as "patronising" and "sending all the wrong signals", recognising the anachronism in incentivising an institution that is increasingly becoming a minority pursuit.

    The myth of wedded bliss 2010

  • I don't know what to say to Ann. It wasn't meant to be 'patronising' when reiterating that Israel's existence isn't a problem for me and shouldn't be for anyone else.

    On Thursday, the Legg report will be published along with... 2008

  • Of course some workers may find this advice "patronising", and they are perfectly free to ignore it - but the reality for large numbers of people is that it is often difficult to obtain time off even for perfectly good reasons.

    Amicus and the World Cup 2006

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