sponsor
Americannoun
-
a person who vouches or is responsible for a person or thing.
-
a person, firm, organization, etc., that finances and buys the time to broadcast a radio or television program so as to advertise a product, a political party, etc.
- Synonyms:
- advertiser
-
a person who makes a pledge or promise on behalf of another.
-
Christianity. a person who promises to mentor a youth or new convert preparing for confirmation or initiation, or who answers for an infant at baptism.
verb (used with object)
noun
-
-
a commercial organization that pays all or part of the cost of putting on a concert, sporting event, etc
-
a person who donates money to a charity when the person requesting the donation has performed a specified activity as part of an organized fund-raising effort
-
-
a person or business firm that pays the costs of a radio or television programme in return for advertising time
-
a legislator who presents and supports a bill, motion, etc
-
Also called: godparent.
-
an authorized witness who makes the required promises on behalf of a person to be baptized and thereafter assumes responsibility for his Christian upbringing
-
a person who presents a candidate for confirmation
-
-
a person who undertakes responsibility for the actions, statements, obligations, etc, of another, as during a period of apprenticeship; guarantor
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
sponsorsimple
-
sponsorssimple
-
have sponsoredperfect
-
has sponsoredperfect
-
am sponsoringprogressive
-
are sponsoringprogressive
-
is sponsoringprogressive
-
have been sponsoringperfect progressive
-
has been sponsoringperfect progressive
Past
-
sponsoredsimple
-
had sponsoredperfect
-
was sponsoringprogressive
-
were sponsoringprogressive
-
had been sponsoringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of sponsor
First recorded in 1645–55; from Latin spōnsor “guarantor,” equivalent to spond(ēre) “to pledge” + -tor -tor, with dt becoming s
Explanation
A sponsor provides support for someone or something, typically by supplying cash. Because your company is a sponsor for a homeless organization, they provide funding for the annual 5K run to raise money for the shelter. The word sponsor stems from the Latin word spondre, meaning "give assurance, promise solemnly." A sponsor might support an important issue such as cancer research or education, or a sponsor might take responsibility for someone. You might be your brother's sponsor so he can join your exclusive chess group. Sponsor has a verb form to describe the action of supporting or leading something. You can sponsor a nonprofit arts organization by donating and participating on the board.
Vocabulary lists containing sponsor
Vocabulary of the Summer Olympics
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"My Favorite Chaperone," Vocabulary from the short story
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Iroquois Constitution
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to act "with full force against the terrorists and those who orchestrate and sponsor them".
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Firms have turned to the secondary market and so-called continuation vehicles, which give investors an opportunity to cash out while allowing the sponsor to hold on to the asset.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
Arsenal fans campaigned against the new Premier League champions renewing their deal, with the Gunners for Peace group suggesting Tottenham would be a better sleeve sponsor.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
The United States has listed Syria as a state sponsor of terrorism since 1979.
From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026
"She's a psychologist. She lives in Palestine, in one of those communes. If you wrote to her, she might be able to sponsor you to go there."
From "What the Night Sings" by Vesper Stamper
One thing is different about this year's festival: there are no corporate sponsors.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
Some private-equity sponsors say holding assets longer is often intentional to focus on deep value creation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
The New York City Soccer Initiative, a collaboration between the city, NYC FC, and corporate sponsors is also building 26 mini soccer pitches at local schools.
From Barron's ● Jul. 9, 2026
Not surprisingly, she currently has no sponsors, just equipment support from Head Sport and Asics Corp., making her Wimbledon run particularly lucrative.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026
Celaena and Chaol didn’t speak as they strode down the hallway, quickly moving from the throng of competitors and their sponsors, who lingered to speak with one another—and size each other up.
From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas
Because they'd been booked to play Pet-A-Palooza, a dog adoption festival sponsored by the local radio station.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
StepFun's chairman Yin Qi said "deep partnerships" had been established with several major Chinese platforms, including Alipay and ride-hailing giant Didi, according to a sponsored article in state news agency Xinhua.
From Barron's ● Jul. 19, 2026
Backed by a coalition of non-college-educated, older, and Black voters, Stevens led a poll sponsored by the Detroit News by 7 points this week.
From Slate ● Jul. 18, 2026
One was a conversation with Prof. Robert P. George at an event sponsored by the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
“It was sponsored by a group of renewable energy companies, including the Fūjin Corporation, which makes turbines for wind energy.”
From "City Spies" by James Ponti
There could be a ban on unlicensed casinos from sponsoring sports teams, too, with Burnham a long-time critic of the negative effects of gambling.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
Johnson supported other Black entrepreneurs by co-founding Independence Bank of Chicago and sponsoring the national syndication of “Soul Train.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
Ensemble has turned clips from productions like “The Fastest Six Weeks in Sports,” a documentary series about a college basketball player entering the WNBA, into social-media ads for sponsoring brands including DoorDash.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026
America 250, by contrast, is decidedly smaller, sponsoring art exhibits and coordinated "block parties" across the country.
From BBC ● Jun. 1, 2026
A group from my sponsoring church met me outside the terminal and drove me to an apartment I would share with other Lost Boys.
From "Lost Boy, Lost Girl" by John Bul Dau
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
