patronize

American  

[pey-truh-nahyz, pa‑] / ˈpeɪ trəˌnaɪz, ˈpæ‑ /

especially British, patronise

verb (used with object)

patronizes, present (3rd person singular) patronized, past participle, past patronizing present participle

1. to give (a store, restaurant, hotel, etc.) one's regular patronage; trade with.

2. to behave in an offensively condescending manner toward.

   a professor who patronizes his students.

3. to act as a patron toward (an artist, institution, etc.); support.

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patronize British  

/ ˈpætrəˌnaɪz /

verb

1. to behave or treat in a condescending way

2. (tr) to act as a patron or patroness by sponsoring or bringing trade to

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Usage

What does patronize mean? To patronize is to be a customer (or patron) of a business or other establishment. In this sense, patronize most often means to be a paying customer, especially a regular one. However, you can patronize establishments that are not businesses—you can patronize a library, for example. Example: I patronize local shops and restaurants whenever I can in order to support people in my own community, instead of enriching faceless corporations. Patronize also means to act condescendingly toward a person in a way that arrogantly implies that you’re being kind or helpful to that person. This often takes the form of speaking to someone as if they were a child. Someone who acts in this way can be described as patronizing. Example: Don’t patronize me, Jeff—I understand the topic just as well as you do.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• patronization
  noun
• patronizer
  noun
• repatronize
  verb (used with object)
• transpatronize
  verb (used with object)
• patronizable
  adjective
• unpatronizable
  adjective
• well-patronized
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• patronizing
  present
• patronized
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• patronize
  simple
• patronizes
  simple
• have patronized
  perfect
• has patronized
  perfect
• am patronizing
  progressive
• are patronizing
  progressive
• is patronizing
  progressive
• have been patronizing
  perfect progressive
• has been patronizing
  perfect progressive

Past

• patronized
  simple
• had patronized
  perfect
• was patronizing
  progressive
• were patronizing
  progressive
• had been patronizing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will patronize
  simple
• will have patronized
  perfect
• will be patronizing
  progressive
• will have been patronizing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of patronize

First recorded in 1580–90; patron + -ize

Explanation

If you patronize a business, you shop there regularly. But if someone patronizes you, it's not so pleasant — they talk to you as if you were inferior or not very intelligent. Patronize comes from Latin patronus "protector, master," related to pater "father." So if you patronize a person, you talk down to them like a father might do to his child or a master to his apprentice. If you want to take an advanced class and your advisor warns you of all the hard work, you can tell him to stop patronizing you — you know a hard class involves hard work. This sounds much better than saying, "I'm not stupid!"

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

patronize patronizes patronized patronizing

Who would patronize these houses of financial ill-repute?

From Barron's ● Apr. 7, 2026

She said she still plans to patronize Cracker Barrel, including during the holidays.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 9, 2025

Azuka said it has resonated with audiences who she was keen not to "patronize".

From BBC ● Mar. 17, 2025

People often visit wellness tenants including gyms three to five times a week, he said, which may lead them to patronize other mall businesses as well.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 12, 2025

I thought, Already he’s starting to patronize me.

From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood

The opportunity is now for the public to show that it prefers non-idiocy in the media outlets it patronizes and is willing to pay for.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 9, 2026

She said the retailers she patronizes include Express, Shein, and Walmart.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 22, 2023

She said she keeps her mask on unless she’s eating or drinking, and patronizes places where she thinks the ventilation is decent.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 27, 2023

The Internet is full of dimly lit, heavily zoomed videos and photos shot by fans trailing him down city streets and loitering at the movie theaters and restaurants he patronizes.

From Washington Post ● Nov. 16, 2021

Thick rugs cover every floor, and paintings from several local artists she patronizes line our walls.

From "We Were Liars" by E. Lockhart

They know when they’re being patronized, even if they don’t always say it.

From Salon ● Nov. 5, 2025

Shops are open, sidewalk cafes are well patronized and cars clog the streets.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2024

She said the East was largely misunderstood by West Germans — belittled, patronized and often ignored.

From New York Times ● Apr. 26, 2024

Yet Uganda’s collecting class remains minuscule, with new shows patronized by hip youngsters and expatriates.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 15, 2023

A lecture was coming on, and he was in no mood to be patronized.

From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas

What were they doing to develop “anti-smog muffler devices”? A month later, Hahn got back the first of many testy, patronizing responses.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 26, 2026

You can empathize with your friend without demonizing your own position or patronizing her by saying everything will be OK.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 2, 2026

Epstein had made donations to Krauss’ Origins Project, part of his larger patronizing of the sciences.

From Salon ● Feb. 6, 2026

A spokeswoman for Ruemmler said that in her message to Epstein, she was “obviously patronizing him.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 6, 2026

The Blue Fairy Godmother left, amused and patronizing.

From "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut

Related Words

• deign
• snub