patroness

IPA/ˌpeɪtrəˈnes/
KK[pˈetrənəs]IPA/ˌpeɪtrəˈnes/

patroness — noun

  • patronesssingular
  • patronessesplural

1. A woman who regularly provides money or other resources to help an organization,

1.名詞C1
釋義

A woman who regularly provides money or other resources to help an organization, event, or cause succeed.

例句

Kemi has been a generous patroness of the local art museum for over ten years.

collocation: generous patroness

As the charity's patroness, Lady Maeve covered all costs for the annual fundraising dinner.

patroness + covering costs (financial support)

同義詞
  • sponsor

    less formal; can refer to a company or individual; implies commercial or public recognition

  • benefactor

    broader; focuses on doing good through gifts; gender-neutral, often used for major donors

  • backer

    informal; suggests financial support for a specific project or venture

用法筆記

Increasingly replaced by patron (gender-neutral) in modern writing. Still found in formal British contexts, especially for titled aristocratic women: 'Lady X was the patroness of the society.'

常見錯誤

❌The company acted as a patroness of the event.
✅The company acted as a patron of the event.
💡Patroness refers specifically to a woman; use patron for organizations or companies.

2. In the Christian tradition, a female saint regarded as the special guardian of a

2.名詞C1
釋義

In the Christian tradition, a female saint regarded as the special guardian of a particular country, town, profession, or community.

例句

Saint Anya is the patroness of the small fishing village of Porto Novo.

patroness + of + [place]

Many fishermen pray to Saint Shanti, the patroness of those who work at sea.

pray to + patroness + of + [group]

同義詞
  • patron saint

    gender-neutral; much more common; used for both male and female saints

  • guardian saint

    emphasizes the protective role rather than the official patronage

  • protector

    non-religious alternative; focuses on the function rather than the saintly status

用法筆記

Used alongside patron saint when referring specifically to a female saint. The gender-neutral phrase patron saint is far more common regardless of the saint's gender.

常見錯誤

❌Saint Cecilia is the patroness saint of music.
✅Saint Cecilia is the patron saint of music.' or 'Saint Cecilia is the patroness of music.
💡The standard phrase is patron saint; patroness already conveys the feminine form, so do not add saint after it.