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PATRONAGE
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I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
The business given to a commercial establishment by its customers
Example:
even before noon there was a considerable patronage
Synonyms:
patronage; trade
Classified under:
Nouns denoting acts or actions
Hypernyms ("patronage" is a kind of...):
business (the volume of commercial activity)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "patronage"):
custom (habitual patronage)
Derivation:
patronage (be a regular customer or client of)
Sense 2
Meaning:
(politics) granting favors or giving contracts or making appointments to office in return for political support
Classified under:
Nouns denoting acts or actions
Hypernyms ("patronage" is a kind of...):
social control (control exerted (actively or passively) by group action)
Domain category:
government; political science; politics (the study of government of states and other political units)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "patronage"):
nomenklatura (the system of patronage in communist countries; controlled by committees in the Communist Party)
Derivation:
patronage (support by being a patron of)
Sense 3
Meaning:
The act of providing approval and support
Example:
his vigorous backing of the conservatives got him in trouble with progressives
Synonyms:
backing; backup; championship; patronage
Classified under:
Nouns denoting acts or actions
Hypernyms ("patronage" is a kind of...):
approval; approving; blessing (the formal act of approving)
Sense 4
Meaning:
A communication that indicates lack of respect by patronizing the recipient
Synonyms:
condescension; disdain; patronage
Classified under:
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents
Hypernyms ("patronage" is a kind of...):
depreciation; derogation; disparagement (a communication that belittles somebody or something)
Sense 5
Meaning:
Customers collectively
Example:
they have an upper class clientele
Synonyms:
business; clientele; patronage
Classified under:
Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects
Hypernyms ("patronage" is a kind of...):
people ((plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively)
Derivation:
patronage (be a regular customer or client of)
II. (verb)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Be a regular customer or client of
Example:
Our sponsor kept our art studio going for as long as he could
Synonyms:
keep going; patronage; patronise; patronize; support
Classified under:
Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing
Hypernyms (to "patronage" 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:
patronage (the business given to a commercial establishment by its customers)
patronage (customers collectively)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Support by being a patron of
Classified under:
Hypernyms (to "patronage" is one way to...):
keep; maintain; sustain (supply with necessities and support)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something
Derivation:
patronage ((politics) granting favors or giving contracts or making appointments to office in return for political support)
Context examples:
Wilfully and wantonly to have thrown off the companion of my youth, the acknowledged favourite of my father, a young man who had scarcely any other dependence than on our patronage, and who had been brought up to expect its exertion, would be a depravity, to which the separation of two young persons, whose affection could be the growth of only a few weeks, could bear no comparison.
(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)
As I was looking out of window that same evening, it surprised me, and made me rather uneasy, to see Mr. Micawber and Uriah Heep walk past, arm in arm: Uriah humbly sensible of the honour that was done him, and Mr. Micawber taking a bland delight in extending his patronage to Uriah.
(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)
The disagreement subsisting between yourself and my late honoured father always gave me much uneasiness, and since I have had the misfortune to lose him, I have frequently wished to heal the breach; but for some time I was kept back by my own doubts, fearing lest it might seem disrespectful to his memory for me to be on good terms with anyone with whom it had always pleased him to be at variance.—'There, Mrs. Bennet.'—My mind, however, is now made up on the subject, for having received ordination at Easter, I have been so fortunate as to be distinguished by the patronage of the Right Honourable Lady Catherine de Bourgh, widow of Sir Lewis de Bourgh, whose bounty and beneficence has preferred me to the valuable rectory of this parish, where it shall be my earnest endeavour to demean myself with grateful respect towards her ladyship, and be ever ready to perform those rites and ceremonies which are instituted by the Church of England. As a clergyman, moreover, I feel it my duty to promote and establish the blessing of peace in all families within the reach of my influence; and on these grounds I flatter myself that my present overtures are highly commendable, and that the circumstance of my being next in the entail of Longbourn estate will be kindly overlooked on your side, and not lead you to reject the offered olive-branch. I cannot be otherwise than concerned at being the means of injuring your amiable daughters, and beg leave to apologise for it, as well as to assure you of my readiness to make them every possible amends—but of this hereafter. If you should have no objection to receive me into your house, I propose myself the satisfaction of waiting on you and your family, Monday, November 18th, by four o'clock, and shall probably trespass on your hospitality till the Saturday se'ennight following, which I can do without any inconvenience, as Lady Catherine is far from objecting to my occasional absence on a Sunday, provided that some other clergyman is engaged to do the duty of the day.
(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)
I cut and handed the sweet seed-cake—the little sisters had a bird-like fondness for picking up seeds and pecking at sugar; Miss Lavinia looked on with benignant patronage, as if our happy love were all her work; and we were perfectly contented with ourselves and one another.
(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)
