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benefactor Definition

ben·efac·tor (benə fak′tər)

noun

a person who has given help, esp. financial help; patron

Etymology: ME < LL: see benefaction

benefactor Synonyms

benefactor

n.

benefactor Usage Examples

Preposition: of

  • mankind: He was, he claimed, going to use the money for which he committed murder, to become a benefactor of mankind.
  • church: The Earl was the sole benefactor of the new church ( pictured right ).
  • town: He was to become one of the greatest benefactors of the town.
  • race: He is, as John Bennett Shaw used to say, a benefactor of the race.
  • people: She was a great benefactor of the people of Merthyr.
  • hospital: Thomas Guy, the founder and benefactor of the hospital, was a wealthy bookseller and a governor of St Thomas ' Hospital.

Converse of subject

  • fund: Other small community hospitals were funded by local benefactors donating the full cost of the building to the town in trust.
  • give: The College " endowment " includes both the College's general and corporate capital and various trust funds given by benefactors for specific purposes.

Converse of object

  • become: Joseph Jones, together with his brother John, became benefactors of the Library classes.
  • find: Unfortunately, I haven't yet found a rich benefactor to cover the costs of this site, or the research I do.
  • have: We also have a very generous benefactor in the Civil Service Insurance Society.
  • call: Who is called benefactors as the whether republicans offer.

Adjective modifier

  • generous: Generous benefactors have helped in all sorts of ways.
  • wealthy: Assistance to the needy was often left to wealthy benefactors.
  • anonymous: Lastly, an anonymous benefactor donated a bottle of wine over the weekend with which to toast Ernie Pick.
  • mysterious: The stories of mysterious benefactors in secret locations only went to further compound these thoughts.
  • noble: The town's rich history features Roman settlers, royal prisoners, outlaws and noble benefactors.
  • liberal: He died soon after the year 1154, 6 and was buried in Furness abbey, to which he had been a liberal benefactor.

Noun used with modifier

  • kind: Although Foxe hunted high and low for his kind benefactor, he never found out who he was.
  • century: Praise be to Gregory the Great, our 6th century benefactor who started the ball rolling.