Patron Meaning
/ˈpeɪ.tɹən/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounOne who protects or supports; a defender or advocate.
nounOne who protects or supports; a defender or advocate., A guardian or intercessor; synonym of patron saint.
Sentence Examples
The patron appreciates genuine antiques.
He's been a patron of this store for many years.
Frederick the Great was the patron of many artists.
CEFR Practice Quiz
As a generous ____ of the arts, she donated millions to the museum.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The wealthy ____ donated a large sum to fund the construction of the new art gallery wing.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English patroun, patrone, from Old French patron, from Latin patrōnus, derived from pater (“father”). Doublet of padrone, Patronus, patroon, and pattern.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"patron of my life and liberty"
— c. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii]:
"the patron of true holiness"
— 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto I”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
"Let him who works the client wrong beware the patron’s ire!"
— 1834–1838 (date written), Thomas Babington Macaulay, “Virginia”, in Lays of Ancient Rome, London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, […], published 1842, →OCLC, page 154:
"In our trial of the AOT, a transect was used to collect data about the languages being spoken by patrons of the NIE cafeteria during lunchtimes."
— 2019, Li Huang, James Lambert, “Another Arrow for the Quiver: A New Methodology for Multilingual Researchers”, in Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, →DOI, page 4:
"Half-a-dozen little boys carried it to the inn, where I had to explain to the patron, in my best Spanish, that we wanted a carriage to go to the baths, seven leagues off."
— 1879, Annie Allnutt Brassey, A Voyage in the "Sunbeam", page 170:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
As a generous ____ of the arts, she donated millions to the museum.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The wealthy ____ donated a large sum to fund the construction of the new art gallery wing.