patronage

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

What he had run up against was a deep-rooted system of patronage controlled by a single family.

From BBC • Feb. 24, 2026

Goldsworthy restored farm buildings under the patronage of David Ross, co-founder of Carphone Warehouse, and has turned them into works of art.

From BBC • Feb. 6, 2026

A system of patronage led to the ballooning of PdVSA’s payroll.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 5, 2026

Basically what the shah ran inside Iran was a vast patronage system.

From Salon • Jan. 17, 2026

“How did you like my reading of the character, gentlemen?” said Mr. Waldengarver, almost, if not quite, with patronage.

From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens