noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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CMU ARPABET:S P AA1 N S ER0 SH IH2 P
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The state or practice of being a sponsor.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
Examples
I find that for me, my sponsorship of a child via a charitable NGO provides a sense of great satisfaction.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
The aid or support provided by a sponsor; backing or patronage.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
The company provided sponsorship to the research team.
The university awarded five sponsorships to the five most qualified applicants.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
the act of sponsoring (either officially or financially)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: support
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Latin sponsorder. English sponsor Proto-Germanic *skapjaną Proto-Germanic *-skapiz Proto-West Germanic *-skapi Old English -sċiepe Middle English -schipe English -ship English sponsorship From sponsor + -ship.
Across languages
Translations
24 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
спо́нсорство
(spónsorstvo)
— state or practice
Finnish:
tukeminen
— state or practice
Finnish:
sponsorius
— state or practice
German:
Sponsoring
— state or practice
Indonesian:
sponsor
— state or practice
Indonesian:
pensponsoran
— state or practice
Irish:
urraíocht
— state or practice
Irish:
urrú
— state or practice
Malay:
tajaan
— state or practice
Polish:
sponsoring
— state or practice
Russian:
спо́нсорство
(spónsorstvo)
— state or practice
Turkish:
sponsorluk
— state or practice
Finnish:
tuki
— aid or support
Finnish:
sponsorointi
— aid or support
French:
parrainage
— aid or support
Greek:
χορηγία
(chorigía)
— aid or support
Irish:
urraíocht
— aid or support
Kazakh:
демеушілік
(demeuşılık)
— aid or support
Kazakh:
мияткерлік
(miätkerlık)
— aid or support
Portuguese:
patrocínio
— aid or support
Russian:
спо́нсорство
(spónsorstvo)
— aid or support