patronize
pa·tron·ize/ˈpeɪtɹəˌnaɪz/verb
patronize is spelled P-A-T-R-O-N-I-Z-E: 9 letters and 3 syllables (pa·tron·ize). It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 40,703rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, patronize means “To act as a patron of; to defend, protect, or support” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in patronize?
| Letters | 9: P-A-T-R-O-N-I-Z-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: pa·tron·ize |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 40,703rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is patronize?
Patronize appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 40,703rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce patronize?
- UK /ˈpætɹəˌnaɪz/
- US /ˈpeɪtɹəˌnaɪz/
- /ˈpeɪtɹəˌnaɪz/
Patronize has 3 syllables, split pa·tron·ize in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-au-patronize.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of patronize
- patronizes present, singular, he/she/it
- patronizing participle, present
- patronized participle, past
- patronise
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does patronize mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To act as a patron of; to defend, protect, or support.
- 2
To be a customer of (an establishment), especially a regular customer.
- 3
To treat condescendingly; to talk down to.
Near-synonyms: condescend, infantilize, denigrate
- 4
obsoleteTo blame, to reproach.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Patronize in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | fördern, beschirmen, beschützen, unterstützen , frequentieren, als Kunde regelmäßig besuchen |
| Portuguese | apadrinhar , frequentar , tratar condescendentemente |
| Spanish | patrocinar , huevonear, huevear, menospreciar |
| French | fréquenter , patrociner, prendre de haut, paternaliser |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does patronize come from?
From patron + -ize (verb ending); or from Old French patroniser, from Medieval Latin patronizāre (“to lead a galley as patron”). Piecewise doublet of patternize.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).