patronize

American  

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

especially British, patronise

verb (used with object)

patronized, patronizing

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

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

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

Who would patronize these houses of financial ill-repute?

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

As journalist Madeline Peltz has documented, after that, he “staged more and more debates on college campuses,” focused on generating “bite-sized clips” that showcased how Kirk “would patronize and shame” students, largely young women.

From Salon • Nov. 21, 2025

Practitioners of downward dog and their actual dogs patronize this tangerine-colored canteen.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 6, 2025

If we want an art scene here, we have to patronize it.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2025

Children were the marketers of the neighborhood and they would only patronize those stores that treated them well.

From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith

Related Words

• deign
• snub