Patronize

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈpeɪtɹənaɪz/

Definitions

1. To behave toward someone in a manner suggesting they lack intelligence or capability while simultaneously frequenting their establishment as a paying client
2. To frequent or provide support to a business or organization as a customer ; to speak or behave toward someone as if they are inferior despite outward politeness
3. To be a regular client or supporter of an establishment or service ; to address or act toward someone with a demeanour that feels superior and belittling

Etymology: Patronize began as a word about ships. Medieval Latin "patronizare" meant "to lead a galley as patron," that is, to command or captain a galley. From Old French "patroniser" it passed into English, and the sense of acting as a protector or sponsor of someone came with it. The modern sense of treating someone condescendingly is a later development, and the two strands of meaning sit uncomfortably close together: a patron is someone who supports and shelters, yet the verb has come to describe support that carries an air of superiority. The word's root is "patron," from Latin "patronus," a protector of freed slaves and clients, and the English verb was formed on that base with the suffix "-ize." The Oxford English Dictionary traces the verb's early uses to this sense of sponsoring or favouring someone, which is the ground from which the condescending sense grew.

Synonyms: support, frequent, back, sponsor, assist

Antonyms: abandon, desert, disregard, neglect, ignore