1
as in sponsorship
the financial support and general guidance for an undertaking
a symphony orchestra that had long relied upon the patronage of the city's moneyed old guard
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2
as in business
transactions or economic support provided by customers
he refuses to give his patronage to any corporation that is not socially conscious
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Recent Examples of patronage
His golf courses have posted healthy returns, thanks in part to patronage from political supporters.
—
Andy Sullivan, USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2025
First Look at the New K-Pop Group Poised for Global Teen Pop Stardom (Exclusive)
TV
Lucy Boynton on Playing the Last Woman Hanged in Britain in 'A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story'
After season one aired in 2021, Maui’s Four Seasons, where it was filmed, saw patronage jump 25 percent.
—Jordan Riefe, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Feb. 2025
After a brief return to local control in the 1930s, the state reasserted authority over Kansas City police to weaken political boss Tom Pendergast, who had used the department for patronage and election fraud.
—Jeremy Kohler, ProPublica, 27 Feb. 2025
Madigan’s vaunted 13th Ward political operation was one of the last vestiges of the old Democratic machine at work, a system that rewarded loyal campaign workers with patronage jobs and focused on constituent services and old-fashioned door-knocking to drum up support.
—Ray Long, Chicago Tribune, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for patronage
Andy Sullivan, USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2025
First Look at the New K-Pop Group Poised for Global Teen Pop Stardom (Exclusive)
TV
Lucy Boynton on Playing the Last Woman Hanged in Britain in 'A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story'
After season one aired in 2021, Maui’s Four Seasons, where it was filmed, saw patronage jump 25 percent.
—Jordan Riefe, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Feb. 2025
After a brief return to local control in the 1930s, the state reasserted authority over Kansas City police to weaken political boss Tom Pendergast, who had used the department for patronage and election fraud.
—Jeremy Kohler, ProPublica, 27 Feb. 2025
Madigan’s vaunted 13th Ward political operation was one of the last vestiges of the old Democratic machine at work, a system that rewarded loyal campaign workers with patronage jobs and focused on constituent services and old-fashioned door-knocking to drum up support.
—Ray Long, Chicago Tribune, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for patronage
Cite this Entry
“Patronage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/patronage. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
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