First Known Use: 1589
Dictionary
patronize
verb pa·tron·ize \ˈpā-trə-ˌnīz, ˈpa-\
: to give money or support to (someone or something)
: to talk to (someone) in a way that shows that you believe you are more intelligent or better than other people
: to be a frequent or regular customer or user of (a place)
pa·tron·izedpa·tron·iz·ing
Full Definition of PATRONIZE
transitive verb
1
: to act as patron of : provide aid or support for
2
: to adopt an air of condescension toward : treat haughtily or coolly
3
: to be a frequent or regular customer or client of
— pa·tron·i·za·tion \ˌpā-trə-nə-ˈzā-shən, ˌpa-\ noun
— pa·tron·iz·ing·ly \ˈpā-trə-ˌnī-ziŋ-lē, ˈpa-\ adverb
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Examples of PATRONIZE
- For the court to come around, at this late date, to acknowledging our existence as “free persons” is shockingly patronizing; it's condescension that has been cast as liberation. —John Cloud, Time, 7 July 2003
- She spoke dryly, but she had to admit that the girl did not mean to patronize, and was pleasant, the way she talked right to Stephen instead of across him the way most people did. —Ursula K. Le Guin, New Yorker, 28 Sept. 1987
- My feelings seem to have been confused and blurred, tinged with sentimentality, colored by a great deal of folklore, and wobbling always between a patronizing affection, fostered by my elders, and downright hostility. —William Styron, This Quiet Dust and Other Writings, (l953) 1982
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Origin of PATRONIZE
(see patron)
Related to PATRONIZE
- Synonyms
- lord (it over), condescend, talk down (to)
Rhymes with PATRONIZE
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PATRONIZING Defined for Kids
patronize
verb pa·tron·ize \ˈpā-trə-ˌnīz, ˈpa-trə-\
pa·tron·izedpa·tron·iz·ing
Definition of PATRONIZE for Kids
1
: to act as a supporter of <He patronizes the arts.>
2
: to be a customer of <She prefers to patronize a neighborhood store.>
3
: to treat (a person) as if he or she were not as good or less important
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