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.
In “The Other Bennet Sister,” Janice Hadlow, who wrote the 2020 novel on which the 10-episode series is based, plays the loving benefactor with a reading that’s far more generous and understanding.
From Salon • May 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
He was man’s benefactor and he was man’s destroyer.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
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.
