funder

IPA/ˈfʌndə(r)/
KK[fˈʌndɚ]IPA/ˈfʌndər/

funder — noun

  • fundersingular
  • fundersplural

1. an individual, company, or institution that supplies the money needed to carry o

1.nounB2
Definition

an individual, company, or institution that supplies the money needed to carry out a project, organize an event, or run a program.

Example

The Green Earth Foundation is the main funder of the community garden project.

funder + of + [noun phrase]

Dr. Mei Chen found a private funder to pay for the school's new science lab.

Common collocations
  • major funder
  • private funder
  • government funder
  • funder of the project
  • potential funder
  • main funder
Synonyms
  • sponsor

    emphasizes public or promotional support, often for events

  • backer

    more informal; suggests personal or early-stage financial support

  • donor

    usually an individual giving to a cause, often without expecting a return

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

funder + of + noun phrase

Usage Note

Often used with an adjective that describes the type of support, such as 'major funder', 'private funder', or 'government funder'. The preposition 'of' introduces the activity or project being paid for.

Common Mistakes

The funder money was enough.
The funding from the funder was enough.
'funder' refers to the person or organization, not the money itself.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All three words describe someone who provides financial support, but they differ in context. A 'sponsor' typically supports events, teams, or media content in exchange for public recognition or advertising (e.g., a car company sponsoring a marathon). A 'backer' is often an early-stage supporter of a creative or business idea (e.g., a Kickstarter backer). A 'donor' gives money to a charitable cause without expecting anything in return, usually as an individual. 'Funder' is the broadest and most neutral term — it covers any person or institution that pays for a project or activity, from a government agency to a private philanthropist.

sponsor ↗backer ↗donor ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • main funder
  • major funder
  • private funder
  • government funder
  • potential funder
  • lead funder

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Formed by adding the agent suffix '-er' to the noun 'fund', which comes from Latin 'fundus' meaning 'bottom' or 'piece of land'. In the 17th century, 'fund' came to mean 'a stock of money', and by the 19th century 'funder' appeared as the term for someone who supplies such money.

First known use

1764

1764, in the meaning defined at sense 1a