patron

¹ American  

[pey-truhn] / ˈpeɪ trən /

noun

1. a person who is a customer, client, or paying guest, especially a regular one, of a store, hotel, or the like.

2. a person who supports with money, gifts, efforts, or endorsement an artist, writer, museum, cause, charity, institution, special event, or the like.

   a patron of the arts; patrons of the annual Democratic dance.

3. a person whose support or protection is solicited or acknowledged by the dedication of a book or other work.

4. patron saint.

5. Roman History. the protector of a dependent or client, often the former master of a freedman still retaining certain rights over him.

6. Ecclesiastical. a person who has the right of presenting a member of the clergy to a benefice.

---

patrón ² American  

[pah-trawn] / pɑˈtrɔn /

noun

Spanish.

plural

patrones

1. (in Mexico and the southwestern U.S.) a boss; employer.

---

patron ¹ British  

/ ˈpeɪtrən, pəˈtrəʊnəl /

noun

1. a person, esp a man, who sponsors or aids artists, charities, etc; protector or benefactor

2. a customer of a shop, hotel, etc, esp a regular one

3. See patron saint

4. (in ancient Rome) the protector of a dependant or client, often the former master of a freedman still retaining certain rights over him

5. Christianity a person or body having the right to present a clergyman to a benefice

---

patron ² British  

/ patrɔ̃ /

noun

1. a man, who owns or manages a hotel, restaurant, or bar

---

patron ³ British  

/ ˈpætərn /

noun

1. a variant spelling of pattern 2

---

Other Word Forms

• patronal adjective
• patrondom noun
• patronless adjective
• patronly adjective
• patronship noun
• subpatronal adjective

Etymology

Origin of patron¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Medieval Latin, Latin patrōnus “legal protector, advocate” ( Medieval Latin: “lord, master”), derivative of pater “father”; pattern

Origin of patrón²

First recorded in 1860–65; from Spanish; patron ( def. )

Example Sentences

Last week, children's cancer charity Neuroblastoma UK said it had decided to "part ways" with Mills, who had been a patron since 2021.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

Just as Pilates has a patron saint in Joseph Pilates, the field of somatics has the late Thomas Hanna, a philosopher and student of neurology who coined the term in 1976.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026

He was known as a prominent patron of the arts.

From BBC • Mar. 10, 2026

Also, if I’m a longtime patron of the business, I make note of that.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 10, 2026

Although more and more people were learning how to read, the artisans still had signs above their shops, not wishing to lose a possible patron merely because he happened to be illiterate.

From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes

Related Words

• advocate
• backer
• benefactor
• fan
• friend
• leader
• philanthropist
• sponsor
• supporter
• well-wisher