patronage
pronunciation
How to pronounce patronage in British English:
UK [ˈpætrənɪdʒ]
How to pronounce patronage in American English:
US [ˈpætrənɪdʒ]
-
- Noun:
- the act of providing approval and support
- customers collectively
- a communication that indicates lack of respect by patronizing the recipient
- (politics) granting favors or giving contracts or making appointments to office in return for political support
- the business given to a commercial establishment by its customers
-
- Verb:
- support by being a patron of
- be a regular customer or client of
Word Origin
- patronage (n.)
- late 14c., "right of presenting a qualified person to a church benefice," from Old French patronage (14c.) from patron (see patron). Secular sense of "action of giving influential support" is from 1550s. General sense of "power to give jobs or favors" is from 1769; meaning "regular business of customers" is 1804.
Example
- 1. Provides an extraordinarily detailed picture of how the royal patronage system works .
- 2. Many northerners love him , and he rewards their loyalty with patronage .
- 3. Crucially , syria has ended its patronage of the pkk .
- 4. Old-style political bosses handed out patronage jobs here and there , he says .
- 5. The idea of collecting cash online through a mix of patronage and prepayment sprouted informally a few years ago .