a person who vouches or is responsible for a person or thing.
a person, firm, organization, etc., that finances and buys the time to broadcast a radio or television program so as to advertise a product, a political party, etc.
a person who makes a pledge or promise on behalf of another.
a person who answers for an infant at baptism, making the required professions and assuming responsibility for the child's religious upbringing; godfather or godmother.
verb (used with object)
to act as sponsor for; promise, vouch, or answer for.
Origin of sponsor
1645–55; < Latinspōnsor guarantor, equivalent to spond(ēre) to pledge + -tor-tor, with dt > s
Related formsspon·so·ri·al[spon-sawr-ee-uhl, -sohr-]/spɒnˈsɔr i əl, -ˈsoʊr-/, adjectivespon·sor·ship, nounun·spon·sored, adjective
(a person or group that provides funds for an activity, esp)
a commercial organization that pays all or part of the cost of putting on a concert, sporting event, etc
a person who donates money to a charity when the person requesting the donation has performed a specified activity as part of an organized fund-raising effort
mainlyUS and Canadiana person or business firm that pays the costs of a radio or television programme in return for advertising time
a legislator who presents and supports a bill, motion, etc
Also called: godparent
an authorized witness who makes the required promises on behalf of a person to be baptized and thereafter assumes responsibility for his Christian upbringing
a person who presents a candidate for confirmation
mainlyUSa person who undertakes responsibility for the actions, statements, obligations, etc, of another, as during a period of apprenticeship; guarantor
1650s, from Late Latin sponsor "sponsor in baptism," in Latin "a surety, guarantee," from sponsus, past participle of spondere "give assurance, promise solemnly" (see spondee). Sense of "person who pays for a radio (or, after 1947, TV) program" is first recorded 1931. The verb is attested from 1884, "to favor or support;" commercial broadcasting sense is from 1931.
