What does "sponsor" mean?
A person or organization with some sort of responsibility for another person or organization, especially where the responsibility has a religious, legal, or financial aspect.
Sponsor
/ˈspɒn.sə/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A person or organization with some sort of responsibility for another person or organization, especially where the responsibility has a religious, legal, or financial aspect.
- Grammar: sponsor is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: patron, abettor, accept the responsibility, admirer.
- Useful contrasts: defeat, defund, fulbright.
- Usage evidence: And the banquet sponsor tasted the water, which had turned into wine.
How to use "sponsor"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "sponsor" 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 "sponsor" 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 "sponsor" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "sponsor" 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 "sponsor" is acting as noun, 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 "patron" 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 "sponsor", 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
Noun
- 1 A person or organization with some sort of responsibility for another person or organization, especially where the responsibility has a religious, legal, or financial aspect.
"He was my sponsor when I applied to join the club."
- 2 someone who supports or champions something wordnet
- 3 A person or organization with some sort of responsibility for another person or organization, especially where the responsibility has a religious, legal, or financial aspect.; A senior member of a twelve step or similar program chosen to guide an initiate and form a partnership with them.
"My narcotics anonymous sponsor became my best friend when I finally was able to do something about my meth problem."
- 4 an advocate who presents a person (as for an award or a degree or an introduction etc.) wordnet
- 5 A person or organization that pays all or part of the cost of an event, publication, media program, etc., usually in exchange for advertising.
"And now a word from our sponsor."
Verb
- 1 To be a sponsor for. transitive
"Like most human activities, ballooning has sponsored heroes and hucksters and a good deal in between. For every dedicated scientist patiently recording atmospheric pressure and wind speed while shivering at high altitudes, there is a carnival barker with a bevy of pretty girls willing to dangle from a basket or parachute down to earth."
- 2 assume sponsorship of wordnet
- 3 assume responsibility for or leadership of wordnet
- 4 do one's shopping at; do business with; be a customer or client of wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"And the banquet sponsor tasted the water, which had turned into wine."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "sponsor"?
Common synonyms include: patron, abettor, accept the responsibility, admirer, advertiser, advertisers.
How do you use "sponsor" in a sentence?
And the banquet sponsor tasted the water, which had turned into wine.
How do you pronounce "sponsor"?
Pronounced /ˈspɒn.sə/.
Etymology
Learned borrowing from Latin spōnsor (“a surety", in Late Latin "a sponsor in baptism”).