sponsor
Americannoun
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sponsors
plural
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a person who vouches or is responsible for a person or thing.
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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.
- Synonyms:
- advertiser
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a person who makes a pledge or promise on behalf of another.
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Christianity. a person who promises to mentor a youth or new convert preparing for confirmation or initiation, or who answers for an infant at baptism.
verb (used with object)
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sponsors,
present (3rd person singular)
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sponsored,
past participle, past
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sponsoring
present participle
noun
-
-
a commercial organization that pays all or part of the cost of putting on a concert, sporting event, etc
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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
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a person or business firm that pays the costs of a radio or television programme in return for advertising time
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a legislator who presents and supports a bill, motion, etc
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Also called: godparent.
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an authorized witness who makes the required promises on behalf of a person to be baptized and thereafter assumes responsibility for his Christian upbringing
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a person who presents a candidate for confirmation
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-
a person who undertakes responsibility for the actions, statements, obligations, etc, of another, as during a period of apprenticeship; guarantor
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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sponsorsimple
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sponsorssimple
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have sponsoredperfect
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has sponsoredperfect
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am sponsoringprogressive
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are sponsoringprogressive
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is sponsoringprogressive
-
have been sponsoringperfect progressive
-
has been sponsoringperfect progressive
Past
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sponsoredsimple
-
had sponsoredperfect
-
was sponsoringprogressive
-
were sponsoringprogressive
-
had been sponsoringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of sponsor
First recorded in 1645–55; from Latin spōnsor “guarantor,” equivalent to spond(ēre) “to pledge” + -tor -tor, with dt becoming s
Explanation
A sponsor provides support for someone or something, typically by supplying cash. Because your company is a sponsor for a homeless organization, they provide funding for the annual 5K run to raise money for the shelter. The word sponsor stems from the Latin word spondre, meaning "give assurance, promise solemnly." A sponsor might support an important issue such as cancer research or education, or a sponsor might take responsibility for someone. You might be your brother's sponsor so he can join your exclusive chess group. Sponsor has a verb form to describe the action of supporting or leading something. You can sponsor a nonprofit arts organization by donating and participating on the board.
Vocabulary lists containing sponsor
Vocabulary of the Summer Olympics
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"My Favorite Chaperone," Vocabulary from the short story
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Iroquois Constitution
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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.
See Examples For:
They will probably sponsor Wimbledon in the next couple of years.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026
Also ask whether he is acting as a fiduciary in recommending this particular investment and whether he or his firm has any financial relationship with the sponsor.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026
It is also suspending Microsoft, Adobe and six other tech companies from how they sponsor employees who are in the country under a highly skilled worker visa program.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
A Chinese fitness influencer has been dropped by her sponsor after she apologised for riding a bicycle during the Berlin marathon.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
“A master has to sponsor you to Re’lar. So you should pick one and stick to him like shit on his shoe.”
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
Real Madrid also counts Chinese companies among its main sponsors, with Hisense, sports betting firm Kaiyun Sports, and Linglong Tire all featuring prominently.
From Barron's ● Oct. 29, 2026
When sponsors swap out CEOs, one of the biggest challenges they want to address before they take that move is retention of other key employees.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors.
From Salon ● Oct. 17, 2026
Changes in sponsors can also leave athletes with clothing they can no longer wear.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
Because the sponsors and the benevolent associations would start calling her, asking, shouting, pleading to make me play again.
From "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan
The halftime show, now sponsored by Apple Music, was once the domain of classic rockers and pop acts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026
Her grandson edits her sponsored content, which includes partnerships with food and beauty brands.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
President Gerald Ford — then a congressman from Michigan’s onion-growing region — sponsored the Onion Futures Act, which banned onions from futures trading.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 20, 2026
When she nearly miscarries, he convinces her to marry him and move to his company’s sponsored enclave that’s popping with pregnant women like her.
From Salon ● Oct. 18, 2026
It was sponsored by a Norwegian reporter, Mrs. Jorumn Rickets, who had set it up with Ernie, Minnijean, and me, and the group spotlighted as staunch troublemakers: Sammy Dean Parker, Kaye Bacon, and their crowd.
From "Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High" by Melba Pattillo Beals
On Tuesday, the gender and sexuality studies program is sponsoring a town hall.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
State-owned bodies are not banned from sponsoring clubs under Premier League rules.
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
Lastly, the law allows plans to include language permitting workers old enough to be subject to RMDs to skip them while working for the company sponsoring the plan.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 29, 2026
She spent her lifetime giving back to Appalachia and other regions of her home state, sponsoring literacy programs and building the Dollywood theme park to attract tourism and create jobs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
“They’re even sponsoring a few bus trips and a summer dance. Won’t that be fun?”
From "Rules" by Cynthia Lord
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
