Patron

A patron – pronounced with the stress on the first syllable, IPA: /'peɪt rən/ - is someone who gives financial or other assistance to an organization (especially a charity) or an individual (especially an artist, writer, or musician). The word patron comes from the Latin patrōnus, which means ‘patron’, ‘protector’ and, in a legal context, ‘advocate’ or ‘counsel’. In ancient Roman society a patronus was a rich and powerful citizen who provided support and protection to an often very large number of dependants (his clientes), who were expected to show gratitude and loyalty to their patronus by, e.g., voting for him in elections. The word patronus is an augmentative form of pater (‘father’), just as matrona, the origin of the English word ‘matron’, is an augmentative form of māter, ‘mother’.

The feminine form of patron is patroness (pronounced with the stress on the final syllable, IPA: /,peɪt rə 'nɛs/), and the adjective is patronal (pronounced with the stress on the second syllable, IPA: / pət 'rəʊ nəl/).

A patron saint is a saint believed to have a special concern for a particular group or institution and therefore disposed to provide protection and guidance to members of the group or institution and to intercede with God on their behalf. The group or institution for which the saint has a special concern may be, e.g., a nation (St. Joseph is the patron saint of Belgium, St. Stephen of Hungary, Sts. Andrew and Nicholas of Greece), a city (St. Ambrose is the patron saint of Milan, St. Frideswide of Oxford), a trade or profession (St. Luke is the patron saint of doctors, St. Matthew of accountants and bankers, Sts. Andrew and Peter of fishermen), those in a particular state or situation (St. Teresa of Avila is the patron saint of those with a headache, St. Roch of invalids), even an entire species (St. Roch is the patron saint of dogs, St. Gertrude of Nivelles of cats). As will be clear from this selection, a group may have more than one patron saint, and a patron saint may have a special concern for more than one group. See also saint.

The noun patron may also be used of a person who is a customer, especially a frequent one, in a shop, restaurant, or similar establishment, while the verb ‘to patronize’ (or ‘patronise’) means either ‘to be a (frequent) customer in a shop, etc.’ or ‘to treat (someone) as if they were one’s inferior, i.e., in a condescending way’.