What does "patronize" mean?
To act as a patron of; to defend, protect, or support.
Patronize
/ˈpeɪtɹənaɪz/ verb
verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: To act as a patron of; to defend, protect, or support.
- Grammar: patronize is listed as verb.
- Nearest alternatives: condescend, frequent, shop, sponsor.
- Useful contrasts: avoid, boycott, defund.
- Usage evidence: You don't need to patronize me.
How to use "patronize"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "patronize" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "patronize" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "patronize" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "patronize" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "patronize" is acting as verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "condescend" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "patronize", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Verb
- 1 To act as a patron of; to defend, protect, or support. transitive
"A great perſonage aſked lord S——h, how the citizens came to patronize ſuch a profligate as Wilkes. His lordſhip replied, "They would patronize the devil, if he aſſiſted them to pull down a miniſter.""
- 2 be a regular customer or client of wordnet
- 3 To make oneself a customer of a business, especially a regular customer. transitive
""A chearful glaſs, then," ſaid Sir Sedley, "you think horridly intolerable?" [...] "Well, the glaſs is not what I patroniſe," ſaid Sir Theophilus; "it hips me ſo conſumedly the next day; no, I can't patroniſe the glaſs." / "Not patroniſe wine?" cried Lord Newford; "O hang it! O curſe it! that's too bad, Offy![…]""
- 4 treat condescendingly wordnet
- 5 To assume a tone of unjustified superiority toward; to talk down to, to treat condescendingly. transitive
""Yes, she was inclined to patronise you, I thought." / "I don't think she meant to patronise me in particular, it's the sort of manner that comes to women when they find themselves married, especially if they have had aspirations after that state for some time.[…]""
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 assume sponsorship of wordnet
- 7 To blame, to reproach. obsolete, transitive
"This leads us to conſider how a good, and underſtanding Perſon ought to behave himſelf, when the Caſe happens, that ſome things are preſcribed in a Church which he himſelf thinks lawful, but others pretend they do not; [...] whether it is his Duty to inveigh againſt the Governours of this Church, and add life and ſtrength to the unreaſonable ſcruples of others; to patronize thoſe who ſeparate upon groundleſs prejudices, and with groſs uncharitableneſs, or to plead againſt their unreaſonable and diſorderly practices; [...]"
- 8 do one's shopping at; do business with; be a customer or client of wordnet
Example
"You don't need to patronize me."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "patronize"?
Common synonyms include: condescend, frequent, shop, sponsor, support, aid.
How do you use "patronize" in a sentence?
You don't need to patronize me.
How do you pronounce "patronize"?
Pronounced /ˈpeɪtɹənaɪz/.
Etymology
From patron + -ize (verb ending); or from Old French patroniser, from Medieval Latin patronizāre (“to lead a galley as patron”). Piecewise doublet of patternize.