Meanings
nounsponsor (plural sponsors)
plural sponsors
- A person or organization with some sort of responsibility for another person or organization, especially where the responsibility has a religious, legal, or financial aspect.
They were my sponsors for immigration.
2 more examples
He was my sponsor when I applied to join the club.
The colonel and his sponsor made a queer contrast: Greystone [the sponsor] long and stringy, with a face that seemed as if a cold wind was eternally playing on it. […] But there was not a more lascivious reprobate and gourmand in all London than this same Greystone.
1908, W[illiam] B[lair] M[orton] Ferguson, chapter I, in Zollenstein, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC- A senior member of a twelve step or similar program chosen to guide an initiate and form a partnership with them.
My narcotics anonymous sponsor became my best friend when I finally was able to do something about my meth problem.
1 more example
Members also choose a sponsor, with whom they are supposed to remain in regular, even daily, contact—and that, too, is a powerful boost for monitoring.
2011, Roy F. Baumeister, John Tierney, Willpower, →ISBN, page 173
- A person or organization that pays all or part of the cost of an event, publication, media program, etc., usually in exchange for advertising.
And now a word from our sponsor.
Synonyms: patron, underwriter
verbsponsor (third-person singular simple present sponsors, present participle sponsoring, simple past and past participle sponsored)
present singular third person sponsors · participle present sponsoring · participle past sponsored · past sponsored
- transitiveTo be a sponsor for.
1 more example
Like most human activities, ballooning has sponsored heroes and hucksters and a good deal in between. For every dedicated scientist patiently recording atmospheric pressure and wind speed while shivering at high altitudes, there is a carnival barker with a bevy of pretty girls willing to dangle from a basket or parachute down to earth.
2013 June 7, David Simpson, “Fantasy of navigation”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 188, number 26, page 36
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA person or organization that pays all or part of the cost of an event, publication, media program, etc., usually in exchange for advertising.
Similar
More synonyms by meaning
nounan advocate who presents a person (as for an award or a degree or an introduction etc.)
Similar
verbdo one's shopping at; do business with; be a customer or client of
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinspōnsor“a surety", in Late Latin "a sponsor in baptism”
- Englishsponsor
Learned borrowing from Latin spōnsor (“a surety", in Late Latin "a sponsor in baptism”).
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic رَاعٍ
- رَاعٍ (rāʕin)person or organization with religious, legal, or financial responsibility for another
Bulgarian спо́нсор, спо́нсорка
- спо́нсор (spónsor)person or organization that pays all or part of the cost of an event, publication, etc.
- спо́нсорка (spónsorka)person or organization that pays all or part of the cost of an event, publication, etc.
- поръчи́тел (porăčítel)person or organization with religious, legal, or financial responsibility for another
- поръчи́телка (porăčítelka)person or organization with religious, legal, or financial responsibility for another
- попечител (popečitel)person or organization with religious, legal, or financial responsibility for another
- спонсорирам (sponsoriram)to be a sponsor for
Catalan patrocinador
- patrocinadorperson or organization with religious, legal, or financial responsibility for another
Chinese Mandarin 贊助者 /赞助者, 保證人 /保证人
- 贊助者 /赞助者 (zànzhùzhě)person or organization that pays all or part of the cost of an event, publication, etc.
- 保證人 /保证人 (bǎozhèngrén)person or organization with religious, legal, or financial responsibility for another
Czech sponzor, sponzorka
- sponzorperson or organization that pays all or part of the cost of an event, publication, etc.
- sponzorkaperson or organization that pays all or part of the cost of an event, publication, etc.
- sponzorperson or organization with religious, legal, or financial responsibility for another
- sponzorkaperson or organization with religious, legal, or financial responsibility for another
- sponzorovatto be a sponsor for
Dutch sponsor, sponsoren
- sponsorperson or organization with religious, legal, or financial responsibility for another
- sponsorento be a sponsor for
Esperanto patrono, patroni
- patronoperson or organization with religious, legal, or financial responsibility for another
- patronito be a sponsor for
Finnish sponsori, rahoittaja
- sponsoriperson or organization that pays all or part of the cost of an event, publication, etc.
- rahoittajaperson or organization that pays all or part of the cost of an event, publication, etc.
- tukijaperson or organization that pays all or part of the cost of an event, publication, etc.
- tukijaperson or organization with religious, legal, or financial responsibility for another
- tukihenkilöperson or organization with religious, legal, or financial responsibility for another
- sponsoroidato be a sponsor for
French sponsor, commanditaire
- sponsorperson or organization that pays all or part of the cost of an event, publication, etc.
- commanditaireperson or organization that pays all or part of the cost of an event, publication, etc.
- commanditaireperson or organization with religious, legal, or financial responsibility for another
- sponsorperson or organization with religious, legal, or financial responsibility for another
- commanditerto be a sponsor for
- sponsoriserto be a sponsor for
- financerto be a sponsor for
- parrainerto be a sponsor for
- patronnerto be a sponsor for
German Sponsor, Sponsorin
- Sponsorperson or organization that pays all or part of the cost of an event, publication, etc.
- Sponsorinperson or organization that pays all or part of the cost of an event, publication, etc.
- Sponsorperson or organization with religious, legal, or financial responsibility for another
- Sponsorinperson or organization with religious, legal, or financial responsibility for another
- sponsernto be a sponsor for
Greek χορηγός, χορηγός
- χορηγός (chorigós)person or organization that pays all or part of the cost of an event, publication, etc.
- χορηγός (chorigós)person or organization with religious, legal, or financial responsibility for another
- ανάδοχος (anádochos)person or organization with religious, legal, or financial responsibility for another
- επιχορηγώ (epichorigó)to be a sponsor for
Indonesian sponsor
- sponsorperson or organization with religious, legal, or financial responsibility for another
Irish urraitheoir, urraigh
- urraitheoirperson or organization with religious, legal, or financial responsibility for another
- urraighto be a sponsor for
Italian sponsor
- sponsorperson or organization that pays all or part of the cost of an event, publication, etc.
Japanese スポンサー
- スポンサー (suponsā)person or organization that pays all or part of the cost of an event, publication, etc.
Korean 스폰서
- 스폰서 (seuponseo)person or organization that pays all or part of the cost of an event, publication, etc.
Malay penganjur, menganjurkan
- penganjurperson or organization that pays all or part of the cost of an event, publication, etc.
- menganjurkanto be a sponsor for
Māori kaitautoko, tautoko
- kaitautokoperson or organization with religious, legal, or financial responsibility for another
- tautokoto be a sponsor for
Norwegian Bokmål sponsor
- sponsorperson or organization that pays all or part of the cost of an event, publication, etc.
Polish mecenas, mecenaska
- mecenasperson or organization that pays all or part of the cost of an event, publication, etc.
- mecenaskaperson or organization that pays all or part of the cost of an event, publication, etc.
- sponsorperson or organization that pays all or part of the cost of an event, publication, etc.
- sponsorkaperson or organization that pays all or part of the cost of an event, publication, etc.
- sponsorperson or organization with religious, legal, or financial responsibility for another
- sponsorkaperson or organization with religious, legal, or financial responsibility for another
- sponsorowaćto be a sponsor for
- zasponsorowaćto be a sponsor for
Portuguese patrocinador, patrocinador
- patrocinadorperson or organization that pays all or part of the cost of an event, publication, etc.
- patrocinadorperson or organization with religious, legal, or financial responsibility for another
- patrocinarto be a sponsor for
Romanian sponsoriza
- sponsorizato be a sponsor for
Russian спо́нсор, мецена́т
- спо́нсор (spónsor)person or organization that pays all or part of the cost of an event, publication, etc.
- мецена́т (mecenát)person or organization that pays all or part of the cost of an event, publication, etc.
- поручи́тель (poručítelʹ)person or organization with religious, legal, or financial responsibility for another
- поручи́тельница (poručítelʹnica)person or organization with religious, legal, or financial responsibility for another
- покрови́тель (pokrovítelʹ)person or organization with religious, legal, or financial responsibility for another
- покрови́тельница (pokrovítelʹnica)person or organization with religious, legal, or financial responsibility for another
- спонси́ровать (sponsírovatʹ)to be a sponsor for
- финанси́ровать (finansírovatʹ)to be a sponsor for
- профинанси́ровать (profinansírovatʹ)to be a sponsor for
Scottish Gaelic sponsair, goistidh (godfather)
- sponsairperson or organization with religious, legal, or financial responsibility for another
- goistidh (godfather)person or organization with religious, legal, or financial responsibility for another
- bana-ghoistidh (godmother)person or organization with religious, legal, or financial responsibility for another
- sponsairichto be a sponsor for
Slovak sponzor, sponzorka
- sponzorperson or organization that pays all or part of the cost of an event, publication, etc.
- sponzorkaperson or organization that pays all or part of the cost of an event, publication, etc.
Spanish patrocinador, auspiciador
- patrocinadorperson or organization that pays all or part of the cost of an event, publication, etc.
- auspiciadorperson or organization that pays all or part of the cost of an event, publication, etc.
- mecenasperson or organization that pays all or part of the cost of an event, publication, etc.
- sponsorperson or organization that pays all or part of the cost of an event, publication, etc.
- propiciadorperson or organization that pays all or part of the cost of an event, publication, etc.
- espónsorperson or organization that pays all or part of the cost of an event, publication, etc.
- patrocinadorperson or organization with religious, legal, or financial responsibility for another
- patrocinadoraperson or organization with religious, legal, or financial responsibility for another
- patrocinarto be a sponsor for
- auspiciarto be a sponsor for
- esponsorizarto be a sponsor for
Swahili mfadhili, mfadhili
- mfadhiliperson or organization that pays all or part of the cost of an event, publication, etc.
- mfadhiliperson or organization with religious, legal, or financial responsibility for another
Swedish sponsor, fadder
- sponsorperson or organization that pays all or part of the cost of an event, publication, etc.
- fadderperson or organization with religious, legal, or financial responsibility for another
- gudmorperson or organization with religious, legal, or financial responsibility for another
- gudfarperson or organization with religious, legal, or financial responsibility for another
- sponsrato be a sponsor for
Ukrainian спо́нсор, спо́нсорка
- спо́нсор (spónsor)person or organization that pays all or part of the cost of an event, publication, etc.
- спо́нсорка (spónsorka)person or organization that pays all or part of the cost of an event, publication, etc.
- поручи́тель (poručýtelʹ)person or organization with religious, legal, or financial responsibility for another
- поручи́телька (poručýtelʹka)person or organization with religious, legal, or financial responsibility for another
Vietnamese tài trợ
- tài trợto be a sponsor for
Welsh noddwr, noddi
- noddwrperson or organization with religious, legal, or financial responsibility for another
- noddito be a sponsor for
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
sponsor. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sponsor
MLA
“sponsor.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sponsor. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sponsor,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sponsor.
Source: sponsor on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.