noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of benefactor
1425–75; late Middle English benefactour < Late Latin; see bene-, factor
Explanation
Every school, museum, and struggling artist is in search for a generous benefactor, or someone to provide the financial means to keep everything running smoothly. The Latin roots of benefactor are bene, which means "well," and facere, which means "to do" — literally, "to do well." A benefactor does well by supporting (usually financially) a person or a good cause. In the old days, a struggling artist or actor might have been supported by a wealthy benefactor. Now, many struggling artists and actors have to rely on waiting tables and other odd jobs instead.
Vocabulary lists containing benefactor
Take the Bad with the Good: Bene and Mal
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Giving Words
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Make Do: Fac
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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.
But by the time she became a mother, Cuba was in the throes of an economic crisis triggered by the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, its main trading partner and benefactor.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 20, 2026
A big benefactor of the safety car to allow him a cheap pit stop and get up into the points and keep Esteban Ocon at bay for P9.
From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026
CoreWeave executives and advisers have privately indicated to other chip companies that they are reluctant to use non-Nvidia chips for fear of upsetting their benefactor, according to people who have heard the remarks.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026
Cuban is facing its most serious economic crisis since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, its principal benefactor.
From Barron's • Jan. 30, 2026
Then the woman in the green demon mask pulled my benefactor away before I could give him any word of thanks.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
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.
