PATRONISE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does patronise mean? 

• PATRONISE (verb)
  The verb PATRONISE has 4 senses:

1. do one's shopping at; do business with; be a customer or client of

2. assume sponsorship of

3. treat condescendingly

4. be a regular customer or client of

  Familiarity information: PATRONISE used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PATRONISE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they patronise    ... he / she / it patronises   
Past simple: patronised   
Past participle: patronised   
-ing form: patronising   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Do one's shopping at; do business with; be a customer or client of

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

buy at; frequent; patronise; patronize; shop; shop at; sponsor

Hypernyms (to "patronise" is one way to...):

back up; support (give moral or psychological support, aid, or courage to)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Antonym:

boycott (refuse to sponsor; refuse to do business with)

Derivation:

patron (a regular customer)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Assume sponsorship of

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

patronise; patronize; sponsor

Hypernyms (to "patronise" is one way to...):

support (support materially or financially)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "patronise"):

cosponsor (sponsor together with another sponsor)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

patron (someone who supports or champions something)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Treat condescendingly

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

condescend; patronise; patronize

Hypernyms (to "patronise" is one way to...):

interact (act together or towards others or with others)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "patronise"):

stoop to (make concessions to)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 4

Meaning:

Be a regular customer or client of

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

keep going; patronage; patronise; patronize; support

Context example:

Our sponsor kept our art studio going for as long as he could

Hypernyms (to "patronise" is one way to...):

foster; nurture (help develop, help grow)

Verb group:

keep going; run on (continue uninterrupted)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

patron (a regular customer)

 Context examples 

It was a concert for the benefit of a person patronised by Lady Dalrymple.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

He was a man loved and honoured by all who knew him; and in his youth was, I have heard, the inventor of a burnt rum punch, much patronised on Derby night.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

That he is patronised by YOU, replied Willoughby, is certainly in his favour; but as for the esteem of the others, it is a reproach in itself.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)