patronage
noun
pa·tron·age
ˈpa-trə-nij 
ˈpā-
ˈpā-
1
: advowson
2
: the support or influence of a patron
the patronage of science by universities
3
: kindness done with an air of superiority
The prince deigned to bestow his patronage on the composer.
4
: business or activity provided by patrons
the new branch library is expected to have a heavy patronage
5
a
: the power to make appointments to government jobs especially for political advantage
oust his enemies from office and use the patronage to support his policies—
H. K. Beale
H. K. Beale
b
: the distribution of jobs on the basis of patronage
The governor filled the vacated positions through patronage.
c
: jobs distributed by patronage
the government's vast network of patronage
Examples of patronage in a Sentence
The college relied on the patronage of its wealthy graduates to expand its funds.
They thanked her for her patronage of the new hospital.
The city should do more to encourage patronage of local businesses.
a system of political patronage
Recent Examples on the Web
On May 3, Buckingham Palace shared a major update about the royal patronage review of the organizations that Queen Elizabeth formally supported.
—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 12 June 2024
Initially established in the 17th century as a royal garden of medicinal plants under the patronage of King Louis XIII, this 68-acre wonder is home to an astounding 23,500 species of plants, as well as Paris’ oldest zoo, a prestigious school of botany, and the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle.
—Christine Chitnis, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Mar. 2023
For the axis, Russia’s patronage came at the perfect moment.
—Hamidreza Azizi, Foreign Affairs, 14 Feb. 2024
Longer terms mean more time to build patronage networks to shore up personal power.
—Amanda Taub, New York Times, 6 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for patronage 
Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 12 June 2024
Initially established in the 17th century as a royal garden of medicinal plants under the patronage of King Louis XIII, this 68-acre wonder is home to an astounding 23,500 species of plants, as well as Paris’ oldest zoo, a prestigious school of botany, and the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle.
—Christine Chitnis, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Mar. 2023
For the axis, Russia’s patronage came at the perfect moment.
—Hamidreza Azizi, Foreign Affairs, 14 Feb. 2024
Longer terms mean more time to build patronage networks to shore up personal power.
—Amanda Taub, New York Times, 6 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for patronage
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'patronage.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near patronage
Cite this Entry
“Patronage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patronage. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
patronage
noun
pa·tron·age
ˈpa-trə-nij
ˈpā-
ˈpā-
1
: the support or influence of a patron
2
: business or activity provided by patrons
3
: the power to give out government jobs, contracts, or favors
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