sponsor

The word “sponsor” means a person or organization that provides money to support an event, program, or activity, usually in return for publicity. In plain terms, someone (or some company) that backs an event, person, or cause, often financially.

“Sponsor” is pronounced SPON-suh (/ˈspɑn.sɚ/ in IPA).

Here is “sponsor” used in a sentence: “The marathon's main sponsor put its logo on every runner's bib.”

Depending on how it is used, “sponsor” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “sponsor” comes from Latin. A learned borrowing from Latin sponsor, meaning "a guarantor" — someone who stands surety for another.

“Sponsor” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

“Sponsor” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a person or organization that provides money to support an event, program, or activity, usually in return for publicity.

A donor gives money or goods without expecting anything in return. A sponsor provides money to support an event, programme, or activity usually in exchange for something — most often publicity, such as a logo on team shirts or a name on a venue.

In recovery programmes, a sponsor is an experienced member who takes formal responsibility for guiding and supporting a newer member. This reflects the personal sense of sponsor: someone who vouches for and mentors another person.

Advertising buys direct promotional space or airtime for a message the advertiser controls. Sponsorship funds an event, team, or programme in return for public association with it — the sponsor's name appears, but the sponsored activity remains the focus.