patron
noun
[ ˈpeɪtr(ə)n ]
• a person who gives financial or other support to a person, organization, or cause.
• "a celebrated patron of the arts"
Similar:
sponsor,
backer,
financier,
subsidizer,
underwriter,
guarantor,
benefactor/benefactress,
contributor,
subscriber,
donor,
philanthropist,
promoter,
friend,
helper,
supporter,
upholder,
advocate,
champion,
protector,
angel,
Maecenas,
• a customer of a shop, restaurant, etc., especially a regular one.
• "we surveyed the plushness of the hotel and its sleek, well-dressed patrons"
Similar:
customer,
client,
frequenter,
shopper,
buyer,
purchaser,
consumer,
diner,
user,
visitor,
guest,
member of the audience/crowd,
clientele,
regular,
• a patrician in relation to a client.
• a person or institution with the right to grant a benefice to a member of the clergy.
Origin:
Middle English: from Old French, from Latin patronus ‘protector of clients, defender’, from pater, patr- ‘father’.
